Zoalords
by Razell
Summary: The world is changing, and CHRONOS must adapt. New Zoalords, new weapons, old enemies. Some characters created by CybladeSilver
1. Chapter 1

Zoalords

Chapter 1

The Council

This particular meeting of The Zoalord Council was both joyous and a cause of dissension. Joyous because of the revelation that Lord Waferdanos' Zoacrystal had been returned to him, and he was once again a true Zoalord. The dissension was due to the fact that the Council was still short four Zoalords. 13 Zoalords were required for the fulfillment of Archanfel's plan, and they numbered only 9, including Archanfel himself. The Zoalords were stretched thin, some ruling entire continents. Some areas, such as Australia, had no Zoalord 'protector' at all, merely a CHRONOS agent to maintain order.

They needed new blood.

"Dr. Nighthawk is a brilliant woman, there is no doubt of that," Lord Barcus stated, "But at the moment we need fighters. With the exception of you, Lords Caerleon, Waferdanos and de Galenos, we are all scientists with relatively limited combat ability or experience. We need Zoalords who possess intelligence, strength and the capability to kill. I do not believe that Dr. Nighthawk is capable of taking lives."

Lord Czyvek sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, Barcus was right, of course. But still, how the Hell were they going to find four Zoalords in short order?

"What about Ali bin Jamar?" Lord Tuatha de Galenos' powerful voice filled the chamber, "He has run our Middle Eastern operations with both wisdom and, when necessary, force."

"An excellent suggestion, brother," Lord Amniculus' voice was soft, but the man held great power. "He has proven himself many times."

"I fear that I cannot be much help," Lord Nguyen humbly pointed out, "I only recently became a Zoalord myself. I am unfit to make any judgement until I can learn more about the prospective Zoalords. What do you know of this man, Lord Czyvek." Zoalord Mikhail Czyvek, as head of CHRONOS Intelligence, was probably more familiar with the sector heads than their own overseers. "He is an honest and honorable man. His assignment was extremely difficult, we all know the state of affairs in the Middle East before CHRONOS rose to power. Still, I cannot, and should not, tell you who to vote for or against. I will give you a full briefing on all candidates raised by this assembly once the meeting is over."

"Nothing need be decided today." Lord Amniculus said, "These are major decisions which must be handled with utmost care. We cannot afford another Guyot or Khan slipping through the cracks."

"I nominate Johnatan Vorsted," Lord Barcus stated, "Head of the Moscow branch of CHRONOS. He is both a scientist and a superb fighter. He would be a great asset to us as a Zoalord."

"I agree." Lord Czyvek replied, and the room fell silent.

"Y-you agree with me?" Barcus was genuinely surprised. He had expected the eccentric Zoalord to block any suggestions he made, due to their long-standing feud.

"He is a capable soldier, administrator and scientist. His loyalty to CHRONOS is beyond question. He is one of the best possible candidates for the position." Czyvek stated matter-of-factly. Apparently his loyalty to CHRONOS overruled any personal enmity with Barcus. The scientist had to give the boy credit for that. He might be insane and sentimental, but his loyalty was almost fanatical.

"Any other suggestions?" Lord Amniculus asked.

There were none.

"Is there any other business we need to address before this meeting is adjourned?" Lord Amniculus asked.

"Yes," Lord Czyvek replied, "One small matter. I wish to excavate the remains of the base at Mount Minakami in hopes of finding more fragments of the Unit Remover for use in Dr. Nighthawk and her team's work in developing a Unit Remover Type Zoanoid. I also request, formally, that Dr. Barcus allow Dr. Shirai to aid us. If he is not engaged in something truly vital, that is."

"But Dr. Shirai died when Mount Minakami was destroyed." Lord Caerleon pointed out. Lord Mirabilis smiled and Dr. Barcus shook his head. "No, he survived. He was badly injured, and parts of his body have been replaced by cybernetics, but he lives."

"How could he have survived . . . ?" Amniculus, "The entire base was destroyed in a volcanic eruption . . ."

"He was carried out by a certain. . ." His eyes flickered toward Czyvek, " _Agent_. His knowledge was deemed too valuable to allow him to die. Only Archanfel, Mirabilis, Czyvek and myself knew of this." He paused for a moment, a look of sadness crossed his face, "And Lord Purgstall, of course. We did not intend to deceive anyone. We just felt the knowledge too unimportant to discuss before the Council." Barcus paused thoughtfully, "Have you considered researching how Makashima was able to 'steal' the Fukamachi boy's armor?"

"We have. Unfortunately, one would have to be a Guyver to steal another Guyver's powers."

"Perhaps we can find a way to imitate the process that allows the Unit Remover to 'shut down' a Guyver?" Lord Nguyen interjected, "If it is something like an energy wave or sonic frequency, we would merely need to find the proper signal."

"And blast them with the signal!" Czyvek could not hide his enthusiasm.

"Wait a moment. If you knew Shirai was alive," de Galenos asked, "Then why have you waited so long to use him on your team?"

"He was severely injured, and he needed the time to recover." Czyvek explained, "The doctors treating him informed me that he is now able to return to limited duties. Nothing too strenuous, of course. We just want to know what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. We don't want to tax him too much, physically or mentally." This last remark seemed odd considering Czyvek's own tenuous mental state.

"If you wish to explore Mount Minakami, do so. How you use your troops is your business. You _may_ recover something useful. But I must warn you that you are likely to be dissapointed."

"If a man tries, he may fail, but if a man does not try, he has already failed." Lord Tuatha de Galenos observed.

To be continued . . .

Current Zoalords in my universe:

1. _Sin Rubeo Amniculus_ - North America

2. _Archanfel_

3. _Hamilcar Barcus_

4. _Edward Caerleon_ - Britain/Eastern Europe/Mongolia/Central Asia (ceded Khan's territory in Asia)

5. _Mikhail Czyvek_ - Japan (Figurehead, Mirabilis actually runs Japan)

6. _Tuatha de Galenos_ - Africa/Middle East (ceded Hayyarn's territory in the Middle East)

7. _Imakarum Mirabilis_ - North America/Japan/Northwest Asia/ (ceded Purgstall's territories in Asia)

8. _Tran Nguyen_ - Southeast Asia/India (ceded Krumeggnicc's territory)

9. _Waferdanos_ - South/Central America

Griselda obviously does not count.


	2. Chapter 2

Zoalords

Chapter 2

Dr. Shirai Kobashi

Even among the CHRONOS troops, Dr. Shirai's appearance elicited stares. 5'2" of flesh and metal. His left eye was a mechanical implant, his left arm and most of his skull had been replaced with prosthetics. He looked very much like a Borg. He didn't notice the stares, he was lost in his work.

Dr. Shirai Kobashi was the stereotypical mad scientist. As long as he was busy with his work, nothing else mattered. If the Guyver were to walk in and start shooting he'd likely tell him to keep it down, he was working. Like most who had served under the traitor Guyot, Shirai was not an evil man, just frightened and eccentric. Since sustaining his injuries, the doctor had become less frightened and more eccentric.

All that mattered was the work.

Dr. Angela Nighthawk found him difficult to work with. He had no interest beyond his immediate work, and would often ignore other researchers suggestions and inquiries. She believed that he honestly did not acknowledge their existence. Still, he was a brilliant man, and she could see why Guyot had chosen him for the work.

At times during Guyot's research, a certain Galvak had been present, hidden from view, watching, learning. Stealing information from the computers in the rare instances when both men were out of the room, (Shirai was so wrapped up in his work that he rarely slept). He'd even taken a small genetic sample.

That was the most frustrating thing.

They had the _key_, they just didn't have the _door_. As with the Guyver Units themselves, they had a wealth of information about the Unit Remover, they simply lacked the technological ability to replicate it. They had grown the Pods and The Ark from pieces of the living Relic, but it's contents had proven, thus far, beyond their abilities. But, she was certain that they find a breakthrough.

She could only hope that it would come in time.

Dr. Nighthawk personally favored a Grimmel-like approach to a hypothetical Unit Remover based Zoanoid. A Bioblaster with multiple blaster units emitting whatever frequency was needed to deactivate the armor. But still she had questions.

What would they do if they did produce a Unit Remover based Zoanoid? Would they then kill the ex-Guyver? What would they do with the symbiote itself? Who would wear it? And to what end?

She had no desire to see anyone die. She sympathized with Sho and agreed with Lord Czyvek that he should be spared. She didn't want to see Agito dead, either, even if he was evil. She knew that there would be no reprieve for Makishima Agito, the official orders were clear that he be killed. Lord Czyvek was doing his best to protect Sho and his friends, but she knew that higher-ranking Zoalords likely saw him as a threat. She found herself wishing, not for the first time, that the Guyver Units had never been stolen in the first place. So much suffering could have been avoided.

So strange, so cruel is life. A boy decides to walk through the forest on his way home from school and finds himself bonded to an alien symbiote and hunted by madmen and monsters.

"Dr. Shirai?"

The scientist was examining a three-dimensional amplification of the Unit Remover DNA. He didn't respond.

"Dr. Shirai?" Still no response. Dr. Nighthawk lay her hand upon the scientist's shoulder.

"Remarkable. Do you suppose it originated on The Creator's home world, or another experimental ecosystem such as ours?"

"I have no way of knowing. We have nothing of The Creator's that can substantiate that they are even a single race, much less the origins of their creations."

"But we can speculate upon the type of environment in which those creations evolved by studying specific adaptations . . ." Shirai began.

"From beings who are eons ahead of us in terms of genetic engineering? They likely adapt new bio-technology to suit each new world."

"Perhaps. But I would still like to know what sort of creatures these Creators are."

"Lord Czyvek fears that, should they return, they would attempt to enslave or destroy us."

"People always fear the unknown." The elderly scientist pointed out.

Dr. Nighthawk shook her head, this wasn't what she had wanted to discuss at all. "Dr. Shirai, I wanted your opinion on our design concept for the Unit Remover Type Zoanoid." She handed him a chart depicting what appeared to be a standard Grimmel with additional blasters built onto each arm and two on the back.

"Yes, yes. It's fine." He went back to examining the DNA. "But you should develop a model with flight capability. You don't want the Units to simply fly away."

Later:

"I was thinking, Angela," Mikhail Czyvek looked up over his meal at the woman across the small restaurant table, "Maybe I should have my Telepathic Inhibitor removed. As a Zoalord it is extremely difficult to keep track of my people without telepathy." Dr. Angela Nighthawk smiled, "People have managed to do a great deal without telepathy, Mikhail. Still, I understand that it would help to protect the Zoanoids if you knew when they were in trouble." "Yes. As much as I enjoy being able to hide my thoughts, I need to know what's happening as it happens. When Aptom," He spoke the name as a curse, "Was alive, I had to rely on other Zoalords to find him, even though he was attacking people left and right. It is something I must do."

Dr. Nighthawk shuddered at the mention of Aptom, she had been there, at Cloud Gate, when the mad Zoanoid had nearly destroyed the entire complex. She had lost many friends that day, and Lord Czyvek, Mikhail, had almost died fighting him.

"I will have to look over the diagnostics, see if it is removable. Then, if we can, and you wish, we can have it removed." She shook her head, "This is hardly dinner conversation," She chided, "We agreed to leave work back at the labs." Czyvek smiled, "So we did." He took her brown hand in his. "So we did."

To be continued . . .

Notes:

Should it be Shirai Kobashi or Kobashi Shirai in the Japanese way of presenting names? I'm not sure which is the family name and which is the proper name.


	3. Chapter 3

Zoalords

Chapter 3

Considerations

_Czyvek is still clinging to the hope of creating a Unit Remover. Pathetic._ Makishima Agito looked over the information supplied by his spies within Cloud Gate. He could understand Czyvek's desire to remove a Unit cleanly from a logical perspective, a Guyver could regenerate its host from even the tiniest scrap of flesh, as shown when CHRONOS had initially slain Sho. To remove the host completely would make the transfer much safer and easier for CHRONOS, and Archanfel, to claim the device. But Czyvek's reasons were rooted in sentimentality, he didn't want to harm Sho. He saw him as an innocent child caught up in a terrible situation. He pitied the kid.

Once you begin to feel sympathy for the enemy, the have already lost.

Sho learned that, the hard way, from Imakarum Mirabilis/Murakami Masaki. Of course, Sho was now content to sit and hope CHRONOS would forget about him. Agito almost felt sorry for him.

_Almost_.

The CCI, CHRONOS Central Intelligence, headed by Mikhail Czyvek, (a foolish mistake on the Council's part), was desperately searching for a way to destroy Agito. Unlike Sho, Czyvek felt no sympathy for him. One of the few wise actions on his part. Czyvek wanted Agito dead, and, as much as he hated to admit it, that was a cause for concern. He had thought Aptom invincible, but Czyvek had killed him. Khan and Krumeggnicc, two powerful Zoalords, had fallen before Czyvek's berserker rage, and Agito himself and Shizu had been defeated by Czyvek, twice. He had not been alone, however, fighting beside Zoalords Mirabilis and Caerleon.

Now that he thought of it, their first battle, at Cloud Gate, had been won by sheer luck. Czyvek had struck the Control Medallion with a powerful electrical assault, doubtless remembering Elegen's electrical attack on Sho when the game began almost two years ago. Agito had since learned to shield the Medallion from lightning-based attacks. He learned quickly as well. But the second battle . . . With '_Typhon_'. It would be a mistake to discount Czyvek too quickly. This Typhon persona was aggressive and brutal, with none of Czyvek's moral compulsions, except, of course, his desire to protect Zoanoids.

_He who loves gives hostages to fortune_.

Czyvek was a waste of his time. Next to Nguyen, he was of little real importance on the Council. Another, more considerable problem was arising to trouble him. The Waferdanos creature was now a Zoalord again, and the project heads of Cairo and Moscow had been taken to The Ark. They had not returned. It was almost certain that they were being processed into Zoalords, and both men were proven leaders and powerful military minds.

Twelve Zoalords, counting Archanfel.

They needed only one more to reach the power they desired. And who was to say they would stop with thirteen? Agito, of course, intended to share power with no one, but Archanfel, who knew what that creature actually wanted?

There was yet another problem to deal with. Griselda was dying. The flawed process to make her into a Zoalord was finally catching up to her. She had less than a month. Which meant Agito had less than a month to move on CHRONOS with his most powerful pawn. He would have to choose his next moves wisely indeed.

To be continued . . .


	4. Chapter 4

Zoalords

Chapter 4

Attack

A thought occured to Agito, a perfect way to demonstrate his power to CHRONOS and remove one of his most hated enemies. He summoned Griselda. If she were to die, at least she would die in battle.

If Murakami wanted to find him so badly . . .

Imakarum Mirabilis had scoured North America for the hated Dark Guyver, destroying resistance cells and slaying countless Libertus. He smiled thinly at the realization that, in this matter at least, even the soft-hearted Czyvek was in agreement with him. He sat cross-legged on thin air high amongst the clouds. The thought occured to him that this was the way that the despicable traitor Cabraal Khan, (the hatred of whom was another thing he and Czyvek agreed upon), had always appeared until his transformation and well-deserved death at Czyvek's claws.

Guyver III appeared in front of him. He could hear another sound behind him, heavy, labored breathing. Griselda.

"So, Shizu, I take it you aren't feeling very well." He said in mock sympathy.

"You've been looking for me for a long time, _Murakami_." Agito put stress upon Imakarum's former name as the Zoalord straightened out to stand tall among the clouds. He was still in human form, but Agito knew even out of battle form a Zoalord was a formidable opponent.

"Why all the talk?" Mirabilis whirled about suddenly, grabbed Griselda by the arm and flung her into her master. "Let's get on with it!"

Agito barely felt the impact, but Griselda, in her weakened conditioned, shuddered. Agito cursed and shoved her away. He opened his chest armor and unleashed his Mega-Smasher on the now-transformed Zoalord. Mirabilis vanished. Agito felt an incredible weight, as if the armor were growing heavier and heavier. He could not see Mirabilis, but this was one of his gravitational attacks. He could barely stay aloft.

Griselda could see that her master was in trouble. She had expected Mirabilis to call for reinforcements, but he seemed determined to fight this battle alone. As Agito began to fall, she saw Mirabilis and attacked.

Instantly, the weight was gone and Agito saw Mirabilis strike Griselda with his fist, staggering her. Taking advantage of the distraction, Agito blasted Mirabilis with his Gravity Cannon, soaking up the irony that the Zoalord of Gravity might be harmed by his own element. As Mirabilis was blown back Agito shot out a beam from his forehead, striking Mirabilis in the chest.

The Zoalord struggled to press the attack. He had overestimated his skills. He sent out a call for aid. The closest Zoalords were Amniculus and Barcus, and neither could aid Mirabilis in any real combat situation. He flew upward as Guyver III slashed down with his sonic blade.

Agito's blade hit home, and he gave a vicious smile of triumph, which quickly turned to horror. Griselda! He had struck Griselda! He retracted his blade, and caught her in his arms. "I-I'm sorry . . . Agito-sama . . . I . . ." The already weakened Zoaloady closed her eyes. She was gone.

Agito fled, carrying the dead woman in his arms.

Lord Amniculus arrived shortly after, carried the wounded Lord Mirabilis back to The Pillars of Heaven and medical treatment.

"He'll be more dangerous now," He rasped softly, his lung had been damaged. "We need to be on . . . Level 1 Alert."

"Already done, Lord Mirabilis." Sin said soothingly.

Later:

As Agito lay the body of his most loyal servant on the ground, it occured to him that he now had something even more powerful than a Zoalord.

A _Martyr._

To be continued . . .


	5. Chapter 5

Zoalords

Chapter 5

Reservations

"First Aptom, now Shizu . . ."

"You're forgetting Murakami. And Odagari-Sensei . . ."

"And my father . . ."

"I don't really want to talk about it." Segawa Mizuki, now Fukamachi Mizuki, turned away from the conversation. She knew they needed no further evidence of CHRONOS' cruelty, of their personal losses, after all they'd been through. Life under Lord Czyvek had lulled them into a false sense of security regarding CHRONOS. While it was true that Czyvek honestly wanted to help them, he was merely one man scorned by his fellows as a soft-hearted fool.

"Muraka . . . I mean, Imakarum was barely harmed, comparatively speaking. The real injury in CHRONOS' eyes is that Agito now has a martyr to hold up to the people who are already have doubts." Tetsuro took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Still, it may not be enough. Two project heads have been taken to The Ark and are probably already being processed into Zoalords. These aren't guys like Nguyen, scientists, these are some heavy-hitters. Soldiers."

"Isn't there any good news?" Mizuki asked.

"For us?" Sho sighed and put an arm around his wife, "We're alive. And we have now, and each other." A tear ran down his cheek, "You deserve so much better, Mizuki-chan."

Aboard The Ark,

"Without Griselda, the Libertus are less coordinated, but they don't need to be particularly coordinated to walk into a recruitment center and blow themselves up." Doctor Barcus felt a headache coming on. "I had hoped that after Dr. Hekkering's capture and the destruction of so many terrorist cells . . . Makishima is far more intelligent than we've given him credit for." He finally growled in frustration. "Czyvek!"

Czyvek sighed, he had a bad feeling about this. Since Griselda's death terrorist attacks had actually _increased_. "Yes, Lord Barcus?"

"Any progress on your work?"

"Yes, actually. And it's not my work, the scientists and Lord Nguyen are the real heroes. They have already began preliminary tests. We hope to incorporate the Unit Remover into a bio-blaster within a year."

"A year! We need them now!"

"Dr. Barcus," Lord Nguyen said softly, "You are a scientist. You of all people know that such work takes time."

"Especially when you are unwilling to take risks." He shot a look at Lord Czyvek, "You are you too cautious. You are unwilling to risk the lives of men who've _volunteered_ to risk their lives for the betterment of CHRONOS."

"It is not that simple, Lord Barcus. We must be cautious, we do not wish to create another _Aptom_." Czyvek replied sharply.

Barcus paled slightly. Aptom had, indeed, been his creation. He had uses an unsuitable individual in a ground-breaking experiment without regard for the consequences, and CHRONOS had suffered dearly for his mistake.

"Why not simply create a new Unit Remover?" Lord de Galenos asked.

"A valid question." Lord Nguyen replied, "Unfortunately, the genetic material is more quickly insinuated into an already living being than replicated. We can reproduce it, but it will take longer than processing the Zoanoids."

Lord Amniculus looked at Czyvek sadly, "You know what we must do once the Zoanoids are activated. I trust you know where the Fukamachi boy is?"

Czyvek stood up and turned his back to the assembled Council. He looked down at his boots. They needed shining. "Yes. But he is _not_ to be harmed. That is the agreement." He turned his head to look over his fellow Zoalords, "We leave them be once the Guyver is Archanfel's."

"You are in no position to be issuing demands." Barcus began.

"It doesn't matter, old friend." The angelic form of the Supreme Zoalord seemed to light up the room, "Without the Guyver, the boy is nothing to us. Let Mikhail have him, if he wishes." His beautiful face grew stern, "But Makishima must die. He is too intelligent. Too treacherous. He is a threat to all that we have created."

In this, Hamilcar Barcus and Mikhail Czyvek found something that they could agree on.

To be continued . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Zoalords 6

New Blood

The Supreme Council of Zoalords sat in anticipation of the arrival of their new members. The addition of two more Zoalords would greatly ease the difficulties facing the eight current members, (Archanfel held no territory beyond the island of Silha), in ruling the world. The world had been distributed unevenly between them, due in part to simple ability. Lords Waferdanos and de Galenos ruled entire continents because of their great experience and power. Lord Czyvek, though powerful, was eccentric and idealistic, thus his responsibilities were limited to Japan. Czyvek was merely a glorified sector leader, a fact he recognized and accepted, most of the time, anyway.

Even Waferdanos drew a long breath as Archanfel entered the room. He wasted little time. "My Zoalords, allow me to introduce our two newest members, Lords Ali Bin Jamar and Johnatan Vorsted." Zoalord Ali bin Jamar entered the chamber first, a dark, handsome man in his mid-thirties with black hair and eyes, he wore battle armor based upon that of the ancient Ottoman Empire. A silver Zoacrystal was lodged within his forehead. He bowed respectfully before the Council, "It is my honor to serve, Lord Archanfel." Then, to the Council, "I hope that I can live up to the expectations of this most noble body."

Zoalord Johnatan Vorsted was a tall, well-built man with blonde hair and ice blue eyes. His Zoacrystal was not visible above his pale skin. "I, too, am honored to serve." He gave a respectful nod toward the others. He was a man of few words, and was dressed in light blue armor reminiscent of the stylized waves in a traditional Japanese watercolor.

Ali bin Jamar had served CHRONOS in various capacities since the age of 15, and his loyalty was beyond question. He had grown up in the slums of Palestine, and had come to believe that only CHRONOS could end the violence that was tearing his world apart. It appeared that he had been correct, though a heavy hand had been necessary, in the beginning. People could not understand the gift they had been given. His power was that of sound. He was a living sonic weapon, and a Lost Number. He would take over Northeastern Africa and the Middle East to assist Tuatha de Galenos, who had been overseeing the whole of Africa.

Johnatan Vorsted had been raised from birth in CHRONOS, at age eighteen he had become a Gregole, at age twenty-two, he was the head of a major Russian processing center. CHRONOS was in his blood, literally and figuratively, and he probably couldn't imagine a life without it. His power was that of water and temperature manipulation. He could freeze a foe to death in seconds, or turn back a tsunami. He was ceded control of Russia and Western Europe, relieving Lord Caerleon, who had ruled from China to Turkey since Khan's death.

There was still no one to officially oversee Australia. It was not exactly a hotbed of terrorist activity, but it needed a Zoalord Guardian to ensure that Makishima and his ilk didn't set up shop under the radar. Czyvek probably could handle CHRONOS Australia, but Barcus wanted him on a tight reign. The Young Zoalord was becoming a bit more practical and reasonable, the incident with Aptom had forced him to see that not everything could be solved without bloodshed. Yet he still clung to his compassion for Sho and his protectiveness of his troops. He simply wasn't ready for wider responsibilities.

To be continued . . .

Notes:

Shin Rubeo Amniculus - Energy

Archanfel

Hamilcar Barcus - Telepathy/Mind

Edward Caerleon - Dimension/Reality

Mikhail Czyvek - Lightning/Storms (replaced Purgstall)

Tuatha de Galenos - Earth/Fire

Ali bin Jamar - Sound/Wind (replaced Hayyan)

Imakarum Mirabilis - Gravity (replaced Guyot)

Ingriam Mirabilis - Gravity

Tran Nguyen - Bio-matter/Growth (replaced Khan)

Johnatan Vorsted - Cold/Water

Waferdanos - Forest/Flora


	7. Chapter 7

Zoalords

Chapter 7

Kenji

The Council was gathered once again. Ten Zoalords sat at the conference table in grand meeting hall aboard The Ark. Lords Archanfel and Mirabilis were noticeably absent, but this was not unusual, Archanfel kept his own time. Mirabilis, however, was almost obsessively punctual.

Lord Czyvek was dressed in his black beetle armor. Alone among the Zoalords, he did not wear a cloak, he felt it got in the way, and he couldn't use his wings while wearing one. His hair was noticeably shorter, it had been shaven to allow surgery to remove the telepathic inhibitor. He was still a bit dazed from the experience. The sudden influx of psionic signals that had accompanied the removal of the telepathic inhibitor had left him somewhat dazed. Much to his chagrin, he had to rely upon help from the other Zoalords to make the transition to true telepathy.

They were discussing various matters, both mundane and vital. Lord Amniculus was excited by the new Hyper-Zoanoid Ghul, which was designed specifically to combat the Libertus threat in the U.S. and Japan. Lord Vorsted was consolidating his power in central Europe and Lord Nguyen was showing Lord Waferdanos the progress of their work on the Unit Remover Type Zoanoid. Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward the chamber door. Several recognized, even knew, the source of the odd telepathic signals emanating from outside the chamber,  
but most were mystified. Archanfel entered the chamber, resplendent in his white robes, and all knelt before him. Once they had risen and taken their seats, The Supreme Zoalord began to speak.

"I am glad that all of you could come. It is time that all of you know of this. It is a long story, and one which I should relate to avoid any confusion on your part. There is another Zoalord, one most of you have not yet met." He sighed, "Many of you know little, if anything, of the life of Murakami Masaki, the man who became Imakarum Mirabilis. Even Lord Czyvek, head of CHRONOS intelligence, knew nothing of what I am about to tell you until very recently. Murakami had a wife and a child, a son. After he escaped our Arizona facility, Murakami went into hiding. In order to draw him out, overzealous and misguided agents burnt down his home. Murakami's wife was killed. His son, Kenji, escaped. Though he tried to feign the boy's death, ultimately he was captured by the traitor Richard Guyot. Though he was but a child of seven, Guyot had him processed into a Proto-Zoalord."

There was an audible gasp of shock on the part of Lord Amniculus, and a look of horror crossed Lord Nguyen's face. "What kind of monster . . ."  
Archanfel held up his hand. "What is done is done. I was able to save the boy following the battle at Relic's Point, and I completed his transformation into a Zoalord."

"A child Zoalord?" Lord de Galenos' voice registered shock.

"Yes. With his father and several members members of The Council, I have been preparing him for this day. The day in which he could take his rightful place among The Divine Twelve."

"At nine years of age . . . ?"

"He is competent, well-trained and as powerful as his father." He paused for a moment, cat-like eyes scanning the room, "There is yet more. The process was not meant for a child's body, so Murakami Kenji was artificially aged. He has the physical form of a man approximately twenty-five years of age."

After a moment of murmuring, Archanfel continued, "He is very . . . _Precious_ to me, and to those of us who know him. I have every faith in his ability to serve his position with dignity and honor."

At that moment, the chamber doors opened, and two figures stepped through. One was familiar to all, the other . . ."Allow me to introduce to you Lord Ingriam Mirabilis."

Zoalord Ingriam Mirabilis stepped forward, and gave a polite bow. He was beautiful to the point of femininity, almost as beautiful as Archanfel himself. He was dressed in armor identical to that of Imakarum Mirabilis, and stood close beside his father. "I'm pleased to meet you." He said simply.

His father had prepared him for this day, but he was still nervous. He knew Doctor Barcus. Waferdanos and Edward Caerleon were like family to him. But he did not know the others. He knew their names, of course. Their faces. Their strengths and weaknesses. But looking at a picture of someone is different than actually facing them. He noticed that Mr. Czyvek's hair had been cut, but he could still recognize him. His dad had said he'd had some kind of surgery on his brain, so he figured they had cut his hair for that. Mr. de Galenos was taller than he'd thought, but he'd seen much bigger Zoanoids. He had skin like The Thing from _The Fantastic Four_, and that was cool.

Lord Amniculus stood and extended a hand, "Welcome to The Council of Twelve, Lord Ingriam Mirabilis." Ingriam smiled and shook his hand. "Thank you, sir." He might be a child, but if Archanfel had faith in him, there was nothing to worry about.

Ingriam Mirabilis took his turn with each of the Zoalords he didn't already know, Most of them didn't know what to think, a nine year old boy in the body of a god . . . Some were curious, others feigned indifference, but none questioned Archanfel's judgement.

The Council were not the only ones with questions, as they soon found their new colleague very curious indeed.

Ingriam walked over to Czyvek. He was taller than the older Zoalord.  
"Mr. Czyvek, dad says you want to protect the Guyver. Why?"

The question caught Czyvek off guard. How do you explain it? Trying to save someone who is, technically, your enemy, who has actually _killed_  
some of your friends? He thought of Kenishiro, AKA _Gelpess_, slain trying to take Sho into custody. How he used to take Barcus' form for laughs, he was such a prankster, Ken . . . Neither had a choice, Kenishiro had to obey his masters, and he would have killed Sho if Sho had not Bio-Boosted and vaporized him . . .

"Are you alright, Mr. Czyvek?"

The Zoalord realized that his mind had been drifting, "I'm fine, Lord . . . uhm . . . By what name should I address you?"

"Ingriam."

"Lord Ingriam, I'm alright. Thank you. I was just thinking of someone I once knew." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Why do I want to help Sho? Because this isn't his fault. He didn't want this. Agito wanted to become a Guyver, he wanted to destroy us. Sho just wants a normal life.  
If he hadn't found the Guyver by accident, he'd be a happy, loyal subject of CHRONOS."

Doctor Barcus chuckled and Imakarum Mirabilis laughed outright.

Ingriam didn't get the joke.

"Besides," Czyvek reddened a bit, "A Guyver can regrow it's host. It's impossible to kill Sho without destroying the Guyver, unless we have a Remover, which we don't, _yet_."

"The Unit Remover Zoanoids?" Ingriam asked, "Dad showed me the designs. They look kind of like Grimmels. Bio-Blasters, a good choice."

"You know your Zoanoids, my friend." Czyvek was impressed. He should have realized Imakarum would have familiarized his son with every facet of life within CHRONOS. He might just be facing his replacement as head of CHRONOS Intelligence. He wondered what Ishi would think of Ingriam, or what Ingriam would think of Ishi.

"I especially like the Bonga. I'm glad you brought them back."

Czyvek smiled, "So am I." Bonga was a big dinosaur of a Zoanoid, a T-Rex with humanoid arms. They certainly appealed to the dino-lover in everyone. In fact, one was the main character on a children's show, "_Bonga and Friends_."

Imakarum Mirabilis was a propaganda genius.

Ingriam still didn't really understand why Czyvek cared about Sho. Maybe his dad was right, and Czyvek was just crazy. But he didn't talk to him like a little kid like a lot of other people he knew. He seemed like a nice person.

"I'll bet your father told you some _interesting_ stories about me."Czyvek smiled, "Sad thing is, they're probably true." Ingriam knew it would be rude to say some of the things his father had said, so he decided against it.

Suddenly Czyvek's eyes widened in shock. Ingriam could feel it too. They all could.

Guyver III was in Japan.

To be continued . . .

Murakami Kenji/Ingriam Mirabilis belongs to CybladeSilver and is used with permission.

If I remember correctly '_Ghul_' is an Arabic word meaning 'demon' and the origin of the English word _Ghoul_.


	8. Chapter 8

Zoalords

Chapter 8

Daigoro Ishimaru

Cloud Gate

Daigoro Ishimaru propped his feet up on his desk and leaned back in his chair. Anyone seeing a him would think him a common _panku,_ ragged denim, multiple piercings and bright orange hair. He was not yet twenty-five years old.

And he was one of the most powerful men in Japan.

He was Zoalord Czyvek's right hand. And right now, he was in charge of Cloud Gate. He was both honored and worried, despite his casual manner. He had a literal army of Zoanoids to protect CHRONOS' Japanese headquarters, including new, more powerful Guyver-Killers. _Guyver-Killers_. Only one Guyver, to his knowledge, had ever truly been killed, and he had been the one on CHRONOS' side.

He let down his feet and stood up. His duties at the moment were, well, almost non-existent. Everyone had their daily routine orders. He was there to keep the lights running. He walked over to the window. Cloud Gate was so high, he could see the roofs of the skyscrapers. He'd come up in the world, literally and figuratively. He'd spent his teens roaming the streets, a street rat, a sneak-thief. A thief has to be careful, though. Some marks are dangerous.

Some can change your lives.

Some can _end_ them.

He broke into the wrong warehouse. He was lucky the Zoanoids only roughed him up instead of tearing him apart. Of course, then they'd processed him.

He was suddenly _Rocies_. A 5'6" chameleon with voices in his head.

Makishima Genzo was an even bigger bastard as his nephew. Ishi had felt intense satisfaction as his boss was dragged away and processed into the first 'Guyver-Killer', Enzyme I. He was slaughtered. Of course, his replacement, Richard Guyot, was even worse, but fortunately Ishi wasn't assigned to Relic's Point and didn't have to deal with that traitorous idiot or the battle/volcanic eruption. There was a rumor that Guyot had survived, but no one had found any evidence of this. A few brief glimpses of men resembling the Commander, one of them heavily bandaged. The rumors had been thoroughly investigated, and not just by Lord Czyvek, and no trace of the man had been found. Still, every sighting was followed up. It was better safe than sorry.

Lord Purgstall was a good man, a rarity, in CHRONOS. Until he met Lord Purgstall, Ishi had hated CHRONOS, but the noble Zoalord had changed all that. He actually cared about people. He was kind, heroic. And it got him killed.

Lord Amniculus was gentle, but distant. His friend's death had shaken him badly, and he suspected murder. He had been right.

And then there was Khan. When Lord Czyvek had battled Khan, Ishi, and indeed all Zoanoids in Tokyo, had felt an irresistible pull, being drawn to Khan for some unspeakable purpose. Fortunately, Lord Czyvek had slain him before he could do much harm.

Lord Mikhail Czyvek. He was like no other Zoalord Ishi had ever known. Kind, brave and a bit crazy, he still considered himself a Zoanoid, and was determined to help his brother Zoanoids gain better treatment under CHRONOS. He interacted on a personal, first name basis with the Zoanoids his fellow Zoalords considered beneath their notice. To him, no Zoanoid was expendable, and he'd risked, and nearly lost, his own life several times protecting his 'brother' Zoanoids. A number of other Zoalords openly looked down on Czyvek, granting him the smallest territory of any Zoalord. He didn't care too much what they thought, which only made it worse. Lord Czyvek had picked him, out of all the Zoanoids in Japan, to serve as his personal assistant, passing over many, many others who had more experience, skill and ability. Quite a few Zoanoids, particularly Hyper-Zoanoids, were jealous of his position, but Lord Czyvek's personable nature won over even the most hardened Zoanoids. They accepted him. He was the Zoanoid's Zoalord, and whatever his fellows thought of him, he was well loved by his people.

Ishi looked up at The Ark. Cloud Gate was so high and The Ark so large that it was visible to the naked eye.

He hoped Lord Czyvek would return, soon.

The Fukamachi Residence.

Sho couldn't believe it. Why was _he_ here? Why now? He reluctantly opened the door to find Makishima Agito standing on his doorstep.

"Hello, Sho. You're looking well."

"Agito! What are crazy . . . " Sho quickly pulled Agito into the house, "If anyone saw you . . ."

"It might spoil your little agreement with Lord Czyvek?" Agito smirked and stepped past Sho, looking around at the modest furnishings, "I heard about the wedding, by the way. Congratulations."

"Czyvek had his telepathic dampener taken out. He'll . . ."

"Do nothing. He's not even here. He's on The Ark. That kid Ishi is running Cloud Gate. One scrawny little Rocies is all that stands between CHRONOS Japan and us."

"You mean CHRONOS and _you_." Sho responded, "You don't fool me, Agito. Not anymore. You let all those people turn into Libertus, knowing they'd die within a year. You did the same thing to Shizu. _Shizu_! Shizu loved you, and you used her! No, there's no 'us'. The only person you care about is you."

Agito shrugged, "Shizu volunteered to become Griselda. She knew the consequences."

"Get out!" Sho shouted in disgust.

"Do you know what your 'friend' Czyvek is working on right now? A _Unit Remover Zoanoid_. The fool actually thinks that if he can take your Guyver, CHRONOS will let you live. What do you think will happen to you and Mizuki when they rip the Guyver out of you?"

"Sho, what's . . ." Mizuki stopped mid-sentence. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Agito."

"Think about it, Sho. You can be CHRONOS' bitch, or you can fight."

With that Makishima Agito turned and walked out.

Cloud Gate

"Makishima, here?" Ishi's heart dropped.

"He was seen going into Fukamachi's house."

Ishi rushed to put the base on High Alert and contacted The Ark. He couldn't handle this alone.

He doubted anyone could.

To be continued . . .

Notes:

_Panku_ - Punk


	9. Chapter 9

Zoalords

Chapter 9

Diversion

Despite what he had told Fukamachi, Agito had no intention of attacking Cloud Gate. Even had Czyvek been there, it would have been a waste of time and energy. No, what he wanted was somewhere else.

Czyvek was not a complete fool, he knew enough to disguise his processing center in a place no one would think to look. In the abandoned husk of Takeshiro village. After he'd slain it's Zoanoids it's people had either fled or been processed to ensure their silence. The eruption of Mount Minakami had left the place coated in a thick layer of volcanic ash.

After his ascension to Zoalord of Japan, Czyvek had paid generous reparations to the survivors. The processing of the unknowing, 'innocent' people of Takeshiro was one of the greatest points of contention between Czyvek and Barcus. Czyvek was as weak and soft as Sho. No wonder he sought to protect him.

It wasn't even a ghost town, just a jumble of burnt timber and soot blackened stone, There was no life here. Or so it seemed. Czyvek didn't want to place a target where civilians would be in the line of fire.

He opened his Mega Smasher and blasted the ground beneath the ruins of an old shrine.

The Ark

"I want to help, dad."

"Not this time," Imakarum Mirabilis put a hand on his son's shoulder as the Zoalords rushed toward the Pods and Japan. "Stay here and protect The Ark for me, alright?"

Ingriam knew that The Ark did not need protecting, "I can help . . ."

"Agito could use you to get at me. You have to stay here, for both our sakes." Imakarum's voice was firm.

"Okay. Be careful, dad." They hugged.

"I will, Kenji." He kissed him on the forehead.

Then Imakarum walked to the waiting Pod.

Lord Czyvek was ready to leave the Pod and fly himself down, vacuum or no vacuum. He was already in his battle form, a lithe black beetle with glowing red eyes. He was pacing the Pod as if it would help. Seven Zoalords in two Pods sped toward the island nation. They all knew what Agito was after.

The supposedly secret lab.

The Unit Remover Zoanoids.

Czyvek's Typhon persona was beginning to emerge. In battle, that was a good thing. Aboard a closed shuttle it was quite another thing entirely.

_Angela_.

_Please, calm yourself. You will damage the Pod._ Lord Waferdanos thought soothingly, _Dr. Nighthawk is a strong woman, she survived Aptom, she can survive Makishima._

_If she is harmed in any way . . ._

Waferdanos felt pity for his friend. He was in love with the woman. Waferdanos, a unique entity, had never felt such an emotion, at least in a romantic sense, save through others' minds. Despite the gravity of the situation, the elder Zoalord's words soothed Czyvek's nerves, somewhat. He had a way with people, a calming influence born of eons of solitary reflection. Perhaps the fact that he was not human helped as well. Archanfel had told Czyvek on Silha that he distrusted human beings. That was why the Supreme Zoalord had assigned Fenris, a roughly humanoid wolf-creature, and his tribe to care for the mentally fragile Zoalord as he recovered from his traumatic battle with Aptom.

Zoalord Johnatan Vorsted watched the insectoid Zoalord carefully. He wasn't convinced of Czyvek's fitness as a Zoalord. He did not doubt the man's loyalty, just his capability. He was too emotional, had too many attachments. What would he do if this woman he cared for died? Considering that he had suffered a near mental collapse after Aptom's attack on Cloud Gate, the loss of his beloved could drive him truly insane. And a mad Zoalord could be far more dangerous even than a traitorous one.

Something had to be done.

Ingriam Mirabilis remained aboard The Ark, he was not yet ready to fight such an opponent as Guyver III. Lords Nguyen, Barcus and Archanfel remained behind as well, unable to offer much assistance.

Takeshiro

Agito was surprised by the reception, his spy had not told him that the base was heavily staffed with Enzyme V Guyver-Killers. Slender, fast and powerful, Enzyme V combined the agility of a Scout with the strength of a Power-Type. In keeping with Czyvek's obsession and Guyver-Killer tradition, their forms were insectoid. Like Enzyme II they possessed four long, pincered, spider-like limbs sprouting from their shimmering ebon backs, their bodies resembled a cross between a Galvak and, ironically, a Guyver, while their heads tapered to long, thin, flexible tubes used to spew Guyver destroying acid.

They were upon him in an instant. Despite their apparent frailty, these bugs could not be easily crushed, and the swarm began spewing acid into his face. He was quickly blinded but not out. He opened his Mega Smasher again, vaporizing about a dozen of the defenders. He regretted now having sent his Libertus against Cloud Gate as a diversion.

Cloud Gate

It was a small group, but powerful. Ishi squinted but he could not see the Libertus trying to gain access to Cloud Gate. Several Enzymes had been sent against them. The older models hadn't seen much action since Enzyme V came out. In fact, none of them had seen much action for almost a year. Things had been very quiet since Aptom's suicidal attack. Ishi knew that the Libertus were merely diversions. They were trying to tie up the Zoanoids stationed at Cloud Gate and prevent them from aiding the Takeshiro base. He wondered if they knew of the secret tunnel that ran from the subbasement of Cloud Gate to Takeshiro which even now was shuttling Guyver-Killers to the battle.

How the hell did he find out about Takeshiro base in the first place?

One of the workers must be a spy. Czyvek could not read their minds, and many were human scientists. Czyvek had researched every Zoanoid, every scientist, even the construction crew for ties to Zeus' Thunderbolts. How had a spy been able to slip in? Perhaps they had switched alliances after being stationed there. Perhaps someone had slipped up.

It didn't matter right now. There was something more important to Mikhail Czyvek than even his brother Zoanoids at Takeshiro.

Who was it who said _He who loves gives hostages to fortune? _Nietzsche?

That didn't matter, either. Not at the moment. All that mattered was dealing with the threat to Takeshiro.

And praying that Dr. Nighthawk survived.

Ishi went over to his desk, opened a compartment, and pulled out a large gun. Based on Murakami's original design, it could take down a Gregole, or a Libertus. Rocies were not combat Zoanoids, they were scouts with almost no offensive or defensive capabilities. If a Libertus somehow got past the army of Zoanoid defenders, the gun would be his only means of defense. Of course, if a Libertus reached the Control Center, that would mean that Cloud Gate had fallen to the enemy. And he doubted he had enough ammunition to deal with that . . .

Takeshiro

Agito's entire body was burning. The acid was more powerful than he'd anticipated. He couldn't see, his sonic swords were melting like putty. It was time to pull out. Unfortunately for him, the Enzymes disagreed. Strong hands held him in place, pulled at him, dragging him down to Earth. Claws tore into his flesh as acid continued to destroy his armor. Long tubes spit more and more acid onto his body. He couldn't see, he had to rely on the electromagnetic images granted by the Guyver itself. He had only one chance.

He entered _Gigantic_ Mode.

The Zoanoids around him vanished as he activated the Gravity Ram, decimating his opponents and the last remnants of Takeshiro village. He still couldn't see, and was in horrible pain. Then he heard an ominous sound. _Thunder_ . . . His Hyper Sensory Spheres went haywire as the electromagnetic field surrounding him went mad. Jolt after jolt of lightning pummeled the wounded Guyver. Gravity began to press upon him, pulling him down to his knees, threatening to crush him like a tin can. All of the natural forces seemed to press upon him. A sonic blast blew off his right arm as both intense heat and crippling cold ripped into his body simultaneously.

Something struck Lord Mirabilis, latched around his body and exploded. Libertus! _Flying Libertus_! The swarm of Libertus fell upon the Zoalords in a confusion of strikes and explosions. More Enzymes poured from the compromised base to aid their masters as Agito fled in the confusion. By the time the Libertus had been dealt with, he was gone.

Lords Vorsted, Bin Jamar and de Galenos went looking for him.

Czyvek didn't pursue, he rushed into the base. It was largely intact, thank God, The Unit Remover Zoanoids rested safely in their processing chambers. With the mental confusion of battle removed, Czyvek could sense the Zoanoids hurrying the scientists through the secret tunnel to Cloud Gate.

Angela was safe.

Imakarum Mirabilis looked down at the smoking, badly damaged arm lying in a pool of Agito's blood. He recalled that when Sho's arm had been ripped off, it had generated an entirely new body, a clone of Sho that rapidly degenerated into a vicious creature. He wondered what this one would do. He ordered the nearby Zoanoids to quickly retrieve the limb, clean off the acid before it could do any more damage, and safely contain it.

Dr. Barcus should find this fascinating.

To be continued . . .


	10. Chapter 10

Zoalords

Chapter 10

Plans

Czyvek embraced Dr. Nighthawk as the latter arrived at Cloud Gate. "I thought I'd lost you."

Angela smiled, "I knew you'd come. You always do. My knight in shining beetle armor."

"It shouldn't have to be that way. I shouldn't have to rescue you at all. None of this violence should be happening." He mentally cursed Makishima Agito for bringing terrorism to CHRONOS' New World Order.

"Hopefully, we will be able to stop him, soon."

Czyvek now truly understood Fukamachi's position. If he were alone, he would simply have given up, allowed CHRONOS to kill him and take the Guyver. But he was protecting those he loved, and for that he would fight to his last breath and beyond.

The Ark

"We now have thirteen Zoalords. We can operate The Ark at full capacity." Archanfel looked down at the Earth beneath them, "Now all we need are the Guyvers."

"Do you think the Unit Remover Zoanoids will work?" Ingriam asked.

"Yes, I believe they will. But there are still at least six months before they are ready. Makishima can do a great deal of damage in six months."

"If only we could find a way to remove them completely. Cleanly. Completely sterilized of the host's DNA." Doctor Hamilcar Barcus now agreed with Czyvek on one point. They should have tried to recruit Fukamachi.

"Do not be so hard upon yourself, old friend. As I said before, what is done cannot be undone. I am willing to concede that CHRONOS' initial approach towards Fukamachi was counterproductive and, to put it bluntly,_ wrong_, . But we cannot change the past. Perhaps, however, we can change his _perception_ of the past. He could prove a powerful ally yet"

"But a Guyver Unit can't be controlled by outside telepathy. You and dad said that's why they called it a 'Guyver', right?"

The word _Guyver_ was given the Unit by the Ouranos, the race or races known as 'The Creator's' by CHRONOS. It meant '_Out of Control_' in their language. When, as an experiment, they had placed their armor upon a human host, all of their powerful mental bonds had been broken. He had violently turned upon them, even slain some of them. The Guyver had driven the Ouranos from Earth before Archanfel had used the Unit Remover to reclaim the device. The human host, of course, had been immediately slain.

He had driven Archanfel's 'parents' away. Now, Archanfel, on the verge of re-connecting with his 'parents', once more found Guyvers blocking his path. They had to be removed before the Ouranos came to reclaim their lost children.

"They're are other ways to gain control of someone's mind, Kenji. Czyvek truly wants to protect Sho, and a lie told a man who believes it to be truth is far more effective than outright deception. If we can exploit Czyvek somehow, make him believe that manipulating Fukamachi to serve CHRONOS is in the boy's best interests. Perhaps . . . It needn't be a lie at all. It _is_ in Fukamachi's best interests to serve us. But his bitterness over his father's death and his own persecution cuts him off from us. . ."

Ingriam had read about Fukamachi Fumio. It was sad that Dr. Barcus would make a man try to kill his own son. And Sho had been forced to kill his dad. He couldn't imagine that kind of pain. Maybe that was why Mr. Czyvek felt sorry for him.

Barcus looked away. He knew that Archanfel did not blame him, after all, it was Makashima Genzo, then Richard Guyot, who had first attacked the boy. But he had processed Fukamachi's father. He had set them against each other. And in doing so, he had stoked the flames of hatred and vengeance in the boy's heart. Czyvek was right. His actions were the single most important factors in Guyver I's opposition to CHRONOS.

Archanfel closed his eyes. Barcus was the man who had woken him, who had gathered his Zoalords, fought by his side. Barcus had built CHRONOS. Now he was in danger of becoming consumed by guilt for one terrible mistake. And, for all his power, Archanfel had no idea how to help him.

Cloud Gate

"And he went into Fukamachi's house." Lord Imakarum Mirabilis stated.

"Sho threw him out. He refused to help him." Ishi replied, "We have audio recordings of their conversation."

The seven Zoalords on Earth had gathered in the Council Chamber in Cloud Gate. Alongside the armored and elegant Zoalords, Ishi stood out like a sore thumb. Still, The Council was impressed on how well he'd handled the simultaneous attacks. He had a good head on his shoulders. He could go far.

"Lord Czyvek," Lord Vorsted leaned forward, "You know where Fukamachi lives. You have bugged his home. You have him under constant surveillance. Yet you have not acted in any way. Why?"

"For now Sho is content to leave us alone. And I don't go looking for trouble, Lord Vorsted. I won't risk lives to attack someone as powerful as a Guyver without provocation. I have more important things to worry about, like Agito."

"A sort of Cold War?"

"More like a Treaty of Non-Aggression. I don't bother him, he doesn't bother me."

Lord Vorsted's expression turned grave.

_Rocies, you are dismissed. Return to your duties._

_What is this? Ishi is my man, not yours._

_Of course. I will explain shortly._

_Ishi, you may go._

Ishi found this conversation extremely disturbing. No one had called him '_Rocies_' in a long time, and he sensed a note of hostility in both men's voices. He hesitated a moment, then left the chamber.

"I did not wish you lower your status in the eyes of Zoanoids." Vorsted stated to Czyvek, then, to the Council, "Brothers. I must submit to you that Lord Mikhail Czyvek is _unfit_ to serve as Head of CHRONOS Intelligence. "

Lord Amniculus rushed to his defense. "But he has uncovered hundreds of terrorist cells, foiled countless plots. He killed _Aptom_, for God's sake!"

Lord Waferdanos nodded in agreement, "CHRONOS Japan has prospered under Lord Czyvek. This branch has the relative lowest number of terrorist attacks, the lowest Zoanoid attrition numbers . . ."

"And the highest number of spies, apparently. How else could Makishima have known, not only about the Takeshiro base, but about the Unit Remover Zoanoid Project? The Head of CHRONOS Intelligence cannot keep his own house in order." Vorsted pointed out, "And Aptom came to Cloud Gate of his own volition. True, Lord Czyvek's idea of an Aptom-Virus, combined with his combat skills and unshakable determination led to that monster's death, but he did not _find_ him. In fact, during the hunt he had to rely upon other Zoalords to sense the his attacks."

"He had been planted with a telepathic inhibitor. It has since been removed, you know that, Lord Vorsted." Amniculus replied somewhat angrily, "Lord Czyvek has been an invaluable asset to CHRONOS."

"I am not saying that you are a poor leader, Lord Czyvek. Japan is the model for CHRONOS operations worldwide. I am saying that you are unable to fulfill your duties as an intelligence operative. Perhaps you are stretched too thin. Perhaps you have incompetent underlings. Or, perhaps . . . Your . . . _Mental state_ . . ." He leaned forward slightly, "You are simply out of your league. I am not trying to attack you, I merely want what is best for CHRONOS."

Lord Czyvek sat stone-faced as the Council argued, then, "Thank you, Lord Amniculus, Lord Waferdanos. But, I'm afraid that Lord Vorsted is correct. The obvious presence of spies within my own ranks makes it clear that I am somehow . . . _Lacking_," He shook his head, "If I cannot control what is happening under my own nose, how can I head CHRONOS Intelligence? This most recent attack is an obvious sign that I am simply unfit for the position." He swallowed deeply, "The success of CHRONOS, of Lord Purgstall's dream, is far more important than any personal desires I might hold."

The Council sat in silence for a long time.

A full Council of The Divine Twelve was gathered aboard The Ark, and a vote was taken. Five supported Czyvek. Eight, including Czyvek himself, voted to remove him as Head of CHRONOS Central Intelligence.

He would retain control of the Japanese branch of CHRONOS and it's people.

To be continued. . .


	11. Chapter 11

Zoalords

11

Treason

"So what does this mean for us?" Sho was straight and to the point.

"Nothing, for now. The Council has known you were here for over a year, and have yet to move." The Zoalord was clearly nervous. He had a right to be. Mikhail Czyvek was breaking several CHRONOS laws and committing Treason by giving information to the 'enemy'. They, of course, already knew. CCI, under Czyvek himself, had bugged the Fukamachi's home several months back, "I currently retain power in Japan, Lord Vorsted remains in Russia."

Sho crossed his hands. _Now what? How long until we have to fight again? How long until I have to fight you, Mikhail?_ He looked Czyvek in the eye, "Agito said you were developing a Unit Remover Zoanoid. Is that true?"

Czyvek swallowed hard and flinched. "Yes. It's true. It's the only way I can think of for you to survive. Lord Archanfel truly _needs_ the Guyver Unit. If it is not in his possession and he is successful in the other thing. . . It could be the _End of Everything_."

"How?" Tetsuro asked, "What is he afraid of?"

"Lord Archanfel is not afraid. _I_ am." Czyvek looked at the floor, "He seeks to bring The _Ouranos_ back. He seeks to reunite with The Creators. That is why he needed thirteen Zoalords, to supply full power to The Ark so that he might call them back."

Tetsuro's eyes widened, "But last time they were here, they tried to kill him and destroy all life on Earth."

"Do you see, now, _why_ I'm afraid?" Czyvek stated wryly. "The Creators attempted to destroy Earth because of the threat posed by a Guyver Unit falling into human hands. If they arrive and find _two_ Guyver Units in human hands . . ."

"It's been millions of years since they left," Sho pointed out, "They may have gone extinct, especially if they were fighting a war."

A look of hope briefly flittered across Czyvek's face, then vanished, "No, if they had the power to create all life on Earth, to guide it's evolution . . . No, they're out there. Waiting."

"What about the rest of the Zoalords?" Mizuki spoke up, "Don't they know what The Creators tried to do? Waferdanos has to know, he was there when it happened, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was. But he shares Archanfel's beliefs. Or he is so loyal that even such a threat as this cannot dissuade him. It is probably a combination of both. But most of the Council fully believe that The Ouranos, The Creators, will accept us. As long as the Guyver Unit is in Lord Archanfel's, and therefore his Masters', control. If not, they might view us as a threat and history would repeat itself. And this time Lord Archanfel might not have the strength to stop them."

"Do you know anything about The Ouranos?" Tetsuro asked, "Anything about what they are like? Physically?"

"No. I don't even know if they were one species, or an alliance of species. Even Lord Waferdanos knows little about what they truly are. Lord Archanfel might know, he _must_ know, but he does not confide in me, for obvious reasons. I know that they wanted to create weapons for a war, and they then tried to destroy their experiments." He pointed at the Symbol of CHRONOS on his jacket. Sho had never really noticed it before, but it looked like an eye curving upward, "This is called '_The Eye of Ouranos_'. Archanfel designed it himself. I do not know if it is realistic or stylized, but is the closest thing to an image of them that I have ever seen."

"And what happens if they come, and you have the Guyvers, and they accept Archanfel? They created humans and Zoanoids as weapons for a war. If they're still fighting that war, Earth might become nothing but a giant weapons factory." There was a strength in Sho's voice Czyvek had rarely noted. "They need _thirteen_ Zoalords to call these Ouranos back . . ."

Czyvek laughed, but it was utterly joyless, "I can be easily replaced. We are all expendable. Lord Archanfel or Lord Barcus would simply find a new Zoalord." His face turned grim, "We didn't know. None of us knew what Lord Archanfel had in mind until well after X-Day. Lord Purgstall was working to bring peace and unity to the world." He shrugged, "I don't want you to misunderstand. Lord Archanfel is _not_ evil. On the contrary, he is a noble being. Many, many years ago his 'parents' abandoned him here. All he wants is to reunite with those parents. He cannot understand our mortal concerns, my fear. What child will admit that their beloved parents might be dangerous?" He turned his head slightly, "They'll hurt him. They'll crush his hopes, betray his love and destroy us all."

"Then why are you helping call them?" Tetsuro asked.

"Because it's too late. The signal began when The Ark first took flight, two and a half years ago. The Zoalords serve only to keep the peace, now. To hold the world until The _True Masters_ arrive."

"What will happen to you when they find out you've been talking to us?" Mizuki asked, genuine concern in her voice.

Czyvek forced himself to smile, "I don't know. They may not care. You already knew most of what I've told you, and the rest is simply my personal opinion. I am _not_ against CHRONOS. I believe that, generally speaking, the world is a better place with CHRONOS in power. You have good reason to disagree, very good reason." He looked down at his hands, "But I'm afraid of The Ouranos, and I thought you deserved to know _why_ we want the Guyver Unit." He was silent for a moment, "Lord Archanfel has agreed to spare all of your lives if we can take the Unit."

Sho wondered what kind of personal risk on Czyvek's part had helped them reach that agreement. Most of CHRONOS wanted him dead. Convincing them to spare his life . . . Perhaps that was why Czyvek held such a poor position in CHRONOS relative to the other Zoalords. It was probably a lie, but if it was, they were lying to Czyvek. He was completely sincere. "I, we, appreciate all the help that you've given us. But, I can't understand it. Why? Why do you, a Zoalord, a ruler in CHRONOS, care what happens to us?"

"Lord Purgstall felt you had been wronged. He never condoned harming innocents, and that is what led to his murder . . . I, too, feel you have been wronged. 'Wronged' is so inadequate a word for what was done to you. To your _father_. To the people of Takeshiro. To so many people. I also know what it is like to fight to protect those you love. And to lose some of them."

Sho wanted to know something else about their ally, to help further gauge his motivations, "Did you . . . Know anyone that I killed fighting CHRONOS?"

Czyvek paled, then sighed, "Do you remember the Zoanoid who posed as Mizuki to lure you into a trap? His name was Kenishiro. Tora Kenishiro. And he was a good friend of mine."

"I'm sorry. I had no choice."

"I know. Had you not killed him, he would have killed you. It was not that he was cruel or evil, he wasn't. But he was a Zoanoid, and as you know all too well, a Zoanoid _cannot_ act against his masters. Guyot and Barcus killed him by sending against you. That is one of many reasons I can't stand Barcus, even when he does good things. Another is the fact that Barcus was controlling your father . . ." He cut off quickly. He really had said too much this time.

"_Barcus_ was controlling dad when he turned into . . . Into . . ." Sho had not known who among the Zoalords present at Relic's Point had actually forced him to kill his own father.

And Czyvek had just put a bull's-eye on Lord Hamilcar Barcus.

Cloud Gate

He was expecting someone to be waiting for him back at Cloud Gate, and he wasn't dissapointed. He could almost feel Lord Imakarum Mirabilis' gaze through his dark glasses.

"Consorting with the enemy?" He asked casually.

"Sho isn't the enemy." Czyvek replied, unrepentant.

"Neither is Lord Barcus. Or Lord Archanfel."

"I have nothing against Lord Archanfel!"

"You question his judgement."

"I . . . I just can't bring myself to believe that The Ouranos are benevolent. They created us for war and then attempted to destroy us. They left Archanfel, who was faithful to them, behind to die with the rest. Does that sound in any way indicative of a friendly people?"

"Lord Archanfel believes that they will embrace us. He and Lords de Galenos and Waferdanos are the only living beings who have actually encountered them. First hand knowledge against irrational fear. Which sounds more logical to you, Mikhail?"

"I don't know what to believe, anymore." Czyvek went over to a window and looked out over the city.

"Do you think Sho will allow you to take the Guyver?" Mirabilis mercifully changed the subject.

"If he can be convinced of how important it is. There may still be hope to recruit him, if we play our cards right."

"I would like to see him fighting side by side with Lord Barcus, now that you told him who was responsible for his father's death."

"If the threat is great enough, if innocent people, much less humanity itself, is in danger, Sho would fight beside Lord Barcus. He fought beside Aptom, even after he brutalized Mizuki."

Mirabilis nodded, he was right. If it would save innocent lives, Sho would help CHRONOS. He might hate them, but his honor and compassion were too strong to allow him to let revenge get in the way.

The conversation was interrupted by a telepathic message from Lord Barcus.

Agito's arm had transformed into . . . _Something_.

To be continued . . .


	12. Chapter 12

Zoalords

Chapter 12

The Creature

The rebuilt base at Relic's Point

It was resting within a reinforced processing tube, heavily guarded and sedated.

"So, this is what happens when you combine Guyver and human DNA." Lord Mirabilis reached out and touched the tube.

"This is the uncontrolled Guyver in it's raw state. He developed within nine hours of recovery of the arm. " Dr. Nighthawk observed, "He had to be restrained by three Gregoles and a Minodlius. He nearly _bonded_ with one of the Gregoles. God only knows what would happen to his host without a Control Unit . . ."

"You should have let it take the Zoanoid." Barcus stated, "Then we would know what would happen."

Czyvek grimaced, "Not every scientist is completely _amoral_, Doctor Barcus."

"Science progresses through experimentation. Risk. Sacrifice." Barcus smiled, "Would _you_ like to volunteer to bond with this Guyver, Lord Czyvek?"

"Only if you go first, Lord Barcus."

'He' looked nothing like Makashima Agito, or any other human being. He was a hominid, hairless, with powerful musculature and sharp teeth and claws. His reddish-brown flesh had a sagging, almost molten appearance. He would have made a good Zoanoid design. As he had been spawned from a male host and contained male chromosomes, he had been labeled male for ease of reference.

The name on the identification plate beneath the Processing Unit was rather fitting.

_Agito_

"I'm not sure if the Guyver creature is naturally humanoid, or if he gained that shape from his host." Dr. Nighthawk continued, "We haven't had time to study him closely. His genetic material is, apparently, unstable, he may not survive."

Czyvek reached out to touch the creature's mind, but could not reach it.

"Don't waste your time, Czyvek. This creature is a Guyver, by definition our telepathy cannot affect it." Hamilcar Barcus stroked his beard, "Besides, it seems to be mindless. Driven only by instinct to merge with a host."

Czyvek turned to Doctor Nighthawk, "How did you manage to subdue it?"

Doctor Nighthawk blushed, "We . . . We used one of the few things we knew could incapacitate a Guyver. We had our Elegen pour over four million volts into him. Then we gave him enough tranquilizers to kill a hundred elephants."

"We can learn much from it." Czyvek circled the creature, examining it. "This could unlock many of the secrets behind the Guyver organisms.

"Perhaps a host can be located for it." Barcus mused.

"I volunteer Doctor Shaver." Czyvek replied. Doctor Thomas Shaver, a human scientist stationed at Takeshiro, had been uncovered as Agito's spy within the project. Czyvek intended to make an example of him. He was not in a forgiving mood.

"As a _meal_ perhaps, but not a host." Mirabilis replied, "If it did bond with him and grant him even a fraction of the power of a Guyver . . ."

Mirabilis had a point. A traitor would not be the best candidate for such an experiment.

"You needn't worry about that," Dr. Shirai hobbled over, "The Guyver is a parasitoid. A parasite that devours its host. All that protects Fukamachi and Makashima is their Control Medallions. That's what happened, or started to happen, to Lisker when Fukamachi destroyed his Control Medallion. He was being eaten alive when Guyver I vaporized him." He paused thoughtfully, "A pity we did not get to see what the creature would have done after devouring him."

"Hopefully we will get the chance to see it unleashed upon Makashima." Czyvek replied coldly.

Makashima Agito opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital bed in a windowless room. His arm was fully restored, the burns were gone. As hard as they tried, CHRONOS could not find an acid that would permanently harm the Guyver. They didn't want to, as they intended to use the Unit themselves.

"So, you're finally awake." Agito turned his head toward the voice. He was a tall, blonde man with a heavily scarred face. Agito was stunned.

"How can you be here? You're _dead_!"

"Do dead men walk and talk?" Richard Guyot, former head of CHRONOS Japan and the first Zoalord to betray Archanfel, smiled, "No, I am alive. And I want to help you make sure CHRONOS pays for what they have done to us."

To be continued . . .


	13. Chapter 13

Zoalords

Chapter 13

Of Two Evils . . .

Agito sat up, tensing his muscles in case the ex-Zoalord attacked. "And why would _you_ want to help _me_, Guyot?"

"Because in doing so I will help myself. We are both selfish creatures, Makishima. We both want the same thing, The fall of CHRONOS, but for different reasons. You want to overthrow Archanfel and rule the world. I want to crush Archanfel and his Council of Zoalords. I want to destroy everything he has created. I want to hear him _scream_. I want vengeance!" Guyot's scarred face twisted in hatred and purpled with rage, "I want to bring him down from his precious Ark and crush his face into the dust! I want to break him. I want him to know that he is _nothing_ before I allow him to die."

Agito smiled, "When last we met, you wanted both the Guyver and control of CHRONOS. I have no doubt you want vengeance," He stepped down from the bed and stood naked and defiant before the ex-Zoalord, "But you want _power_. Just as I do."

Guyot laughed, there was an odd gleam in his eyes, "I did want power, once. But I have been to Hell and have returned. All I want now is to make Archanfel suffer as I have suffered."

Agito found street clothes on a nearby table and began to dress. Guyot was lying. Oh, he wanted to break Archanfel's spirit. He wanted to drag the angel down from the Heavens and cast him into Hell. But he wanted power. People don't change. Guyot was probably mad, but that hadn't stopped Hitler or dozens of other Agito could name.

"How did you avoid capture by CHRONOS?"

"They believe me dead. I have kept out of sight, consolidating my power. Waiting for my opportunity to strike." He smiled, "Czyvek has sent out men to look for me, he suspects. I have been seen more than once. But his people think me dead, and didn't bother to actually investigate. With his telepathic dampener, Czyvek was none the wiser." He laughed, "The fool is right in one way, Zoanoids _are_ humans, and, like humans, they are lazy creatures. They will avoid work if they can get away with it."

"What can _you_ offer me, Zoalord?" Agito cut to the chase.

"My intelligence. My knowledge of Zoanoid, and _Zoalord_, processing. And other things . . . _Things_ that could help you hit CHRONOS where it will hurt the most."

"Such as?"

"How to bring Imakarum Mirabilis to his knees."

"Murakami cares only for Archanfel. That creature has stolen his soul."

"Perhaps Archanfel stole his soul. But I stole his _son_."

Relic's Point base

"Obviously, we cannot test a Unit Remover Zoanoid under controlled conditions. 'Agito' is a Guyver in it's totally organic form. Whatever results achieved by testing on him would mean little against a full Guyver Unit. The whole purpose of the Unit Remover is to shut down the Control Medallion, and 'Agito' has no Control Medallion."

"Then they will have to be tested in the field, Dr. Nighthawk." Lord Barcus had to admit that the Unit Remover Zoanoid design _looked_ impressive. The thick, sturdy body of a Power-Type with a dozen Sonic Emitters, (specifically tuned to the closest possible proximity of the original Unit Remover), and Arms that opened to reveal even more Sonic Emitters. But, in his centuries of scientific study, Barcus had learned that experiments often failed, especially where Zoanoids were involved. Dr. Nighthawk was young and idealistic, she had not yet suffered crushing failures as Barcus had with Aptom and others.

They would know soon enough.

'Agito' had proven a most interesting subject. Entire worlds of scientific knowledge had been opened by his capture. Barcus was somewhat annoyed by Dr. Nighthawk's naive ethics and sentimental attachment to her subjects, she was as bad as Czyvek in that regard. Her lack of resolve and unwillingness to sacrifice lives hampered his studies.

"Lord Barcus, something has been troubling me."

"What is it, Doctor Nighthawk?"

"Once the Guyver Units are safely in CHRONOS' hands, what will become of the Unit Remover Zoanoids?"

Cloud Gate

Lord Ingriam Mirabilis had never met anyone as good at hide-and-seek as Ishi. Rocies were designed not to be seen, they were small and stealthy, hiding in the shadows. But Ishi was _really _good at hide-and-seek. He'd been a thief before he was a Zoanoid, and Ingriam figured that thieves had to be very good at hiding. He was tempted to reach out with his mind, just a little. But that would be cheating. He checked Mr. Czyvek's personal quarters, he didn't mind, and Ishi's personal quarters. He searched closets and under consoles and even in the bathrooms. He should be able to see all those funny metal rings Ishi wore. As he stood in the Command Center of Cloud Gate, he crossed his arms and tried to think of where he'd hide.

He looked up.

Ishi gave a toothy smile. He had been in the Command Center the whole time, clinging to the ceiling like Nightcrawler. "Always look above you, Lord Ingriam. You never know what might be hiding there." He lept to the ground, a man-sized chameleon with body piercings. Ingriam lightly punched his shoulder, "You're good. And you can call me Kenji."

Kenji liked Ishi, he was funny and didn't mind playing with him. Mr. Czyvek was very nice to him, too, but he and his dad didn't get along. And he _really_ didn't like Doctor Barcus. He didn't really understand why Czyvek and his dad fought, but he knew that Czyvek blamed Barcus for killing Sho's father instead of recruiting him and for creating Aptom. When Kenji had told him that Doctor Barcus didn't mean to create Aptom, he looked surprised, like he'd never even thought of it before.

He was a strange man.

"Are you up for checkers?" Ishi asked.

Cloud Gate

Council Chamber

Czyvek had said surprisingly little since Lord Mirabilis had arrived. Perhaps he was saving his insults for Lord Barcus. He went to the window. A thick fog obscured the lower levels of Cloud Gate. "It must be difficult," He observed, "To be a weatherman in Tokyo these days." Czyvek looked up from his rapidly cooling coffee, "Yes, I suppose so." The last few days had been difficult for Czyvek, losing his position as head of the CCI and nearly losing both his life's work and the woman he loved to Guyver III's attack. "What would you say I think of Lord Barcus?" The question caught him off guard, but he answered honestly, "You think he's a fool and a murderer. You disrespect him, insult him at every turn. You hate him." Czyvek stood and walked over to the window, "Without Lord Hamilcar Barcus there would be no CHRONOS, no Council of Twelve, no Zoanoids, or Zoalords, for that matter. He is responsible for all that I hold dear. He made a mistake, a terrible one. He's done awful things to innocent people. But I don't hate him." Czyvek shook his head, "Does that surprise you?" "Yes, it does." Czyvek sighed, "Doctor Barcus is not evil. He is amoral, he has moved to a point in his existence where mortal life means nothing to him. Yet, he still has a soul. He cares about Lord Waferdanos, he mourned the losses of Lords Purgstall and Yentsui." Mirabilis looked curiously at Czyvek, who gazing out across the horizon, "Why are you telling me this?" Czyvek shrugged, "I don't know." He paused thoughtfully, "Is it possible for a Zoalord to survive having his Zoacrystal removed?" Now Mirabilis was becoming concerned, "_Yes_. If he is still young. If I were to take your crystal, you'd lose your power, but you'd live. If I were to take Lord Barcus' or Caerleon's, they would age to death very quickly." "Does Lord Archanfel's body still produce Zoacrystals?" "Only if he wishes it." Mirabilis began to wonder, "Being immortal can be a terrible burden. To watch all you know and love wither and die. You've begun to understand that, haven't you?"

"Yes." He said tonelessly, "Yes I have."

Guyot's base

"It would be difficult to leave now, Makishima. It appears you did your job _too_ well. The news networks are reporting that Czyvek has stepped down as leader of the CCI, and been replaced by Johnatan Vorsted. I know the man, and he is dangerous. Unlike Czyvek he doesn't care about such things as _Civil Liberties_. Martial Law has been declared here and in The United States. Checkpoints have been set up on every major road. We could, of course, simply blast our way through, but that would be counterproductive, as Zoanoid deaths will alert the Zoalords to our presence."

"Zoalord_s_? How many?"

"My agents say five. Czyvek, Barcus, Mirabilis, probably Nguyen, as he's working on the Unit Remover Zoanoid project. And Mirabilis' son."

Agito allowed himself a smile. Finally, a chance to avenge his defeats at Mirabilis' hands.

To be continued . . .


	14. Chapter 14

Zoalords

Chapter 14

Clues

Cloud Gate

Cloud Gate was as much a city as a government office, with a massive library, shops, private quarters for soldier's families and even a theater. Kenji and Ishi sat in that theater eating entirely too much candy and watching _Gojira_ trample his way across Tokyo. "We could build that." Kenji whispered rather loudly. "What would we need it for?" "I don't know, but we could build a _kaiju_. Dr. Barcus did. Did you know that Khan could turn into a giant dragon?" Ishi turned in surprise, "What, that shrimp?" "He could add Zoanoids to his mass, like Aptom. If he absorbed enough Zoanoids, he could have turned into a giant monster, bigger than Gojira." Ishi felt a cold chill run down his spine. _So that's why Khan was trying to call us to him._ "Khan didn't need to absorb Zoanoids to become a monster, Kenji." Ishi's voice was suddenly cold, "He was already a monster on the inside."

Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture

Lord Czyvek knelt beside the large pool of dried blood. He was in full Zoaform, so as to take advantage of his remarkable abilities. His antennae picked up several different substances; human blood, Zoanoid blood, acid consistent with that of Enzyme V, smoke, burnt flesh. "This is where he came down. Losing this much blood, any other man would have died. But not _him_." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. He followed the blood trail to the end of the alley. He had been picked up by someone.

Tracking in a city was nothing like tracking in a jungle like Silha. So much to cloud the senses. On Silha he could almost feel Fenris' heart beating from several feet away, here he had to strain to pick up faint scents amidst car exhaust and garbage. He missed Fenris and the others. Silha had truly been Paradise.

A familiar scent pulled him back to Earth.

_Wait, that scent . . . It isn't possible!_ He strained his sensory organs to the max. He was not mistaken.

How was he going to tell Mirabilis?

Mirabilis looked up and down the street. It was so strange, to see the streets of Tokyo nearly empty. Curfew was in affect, and only Zoanoid patrols were permitted on the streets. Czyvek had argued against this, but he was powerless now that Vorsted controlled the CCI.

"Have your Zoanoid trackers found anything, yet?"

"Not yet. Even with the curfew, the scent of automobiles and petrol is overpowering. They are making progress, though. They still have the scent. It appears to be leading toward the warehouse district. Tokyo Bay." He paused, "We have a problem. There is _another_ scent. I can't be certain. I hope I'm wrong . . . But I believe _Guyot_ was here."

"WHAT!?" Mirabilis was stunned. He had heard rumors that he was alive, but found it almost impossible to believe.

"I spent a great deal of time in the subbasement of the old Relic's Point base. I know Guyot's stench." Czyvek replied. His insectoid features betrayed no emotion, "I'm sorry, dredging up the memories of that scum. But I believe he was here."

Richard Guyot, the monster who had kidnapped his child. Taken Kenji from him, transformed him into a Proto-Zoalord, stolen his child's body, his very childhood itself. If Guyot lived, he would soon regret it.

"But it makes no sense," Czyvek said, "Why would Guyot help Guyver III? Certainly not out of mercy." He shrugged, "'_The enemy of my enemy is my friend_', perhaps?"

"_Kenji_. Guyot knows about Kenji. If he tells Agito . . . !" Mirabilis sent out an urgent mental call to Doctor Barcus to call a Pod and take Kenji to The Ark at once.

_As much as I hate to ascribe any good qualities to Makashima, I don't believe him capable of deliberately harming a child._ Czyvek spoke telepathically, his insectoid vocal structure made it impossible to speak in a comforting tone.

"If he were your son, would you trust Agito not to harm him?"

Guyot's base

"No. Kidnapping is a coward's way. I want Imakarum Mirabilis, but I still have _some_ humanity left." There was a rising anger in Agito's voice, and he began to wonder what had possessed him to deal with this corrupt shell of a Zoalord in the first place.

Guyot shook his head, "You unfortunate creature. It appears I misjudged you. You are still afflicted with a conscience. You must lose that, if you are to rule the world. Think, when that old fool Barcus and I took Fukamachi's father, we were able to lure him into a trap and almost destroy him."

"I know," Something burned in Agito's dark eyes, "I was there. You forced Sho and Fumio to fight. Forced Sho to kill his own father. If not for that, CHRONOS would have probably been able to convince him the previous attacks were a mistake. They would have a Guyver now, if not for that."

Guyot laughed, "Then you should thank me! I helped drive Sho . . ."

Agito's hand clenched around Guyot's throat and he lifted the gasping man into the air. "I have spared your life because you hid me from CHRONOS and treated my wounds. But let us make one thing perfectly clear. I no longer need you. If you brag to me again about Murakami Kenji or Fukamachi Fumio, I _will_ kill you. Do you understand?"

Agito threw Guyot against the wall and walked out. The former Zoalord got to his feet, uninjured. _You will pay for that, Makashima_.

Agito sat stone-faced, trying to calculate his next move. He could use this despicable creature, but how? What was he to do next? He found that, to his dismay, his normally cold and analytical mind was focusing on something he very much did not want to think about.

His parents.

His uncle, Genzo, had been supervisor of CHRONOS Japan while Czyvek was still following Purgstall around like a puppy and Archanfel was comatose on Silha. Genzo had used his resources and connections in CHRONOS to drive his father to bankruptcy and ruin, press upon them until both his father and mother committed suicide. Then he'd taken Agito as his prize, trained him, tormented him, until there was nothing left but hatred and ambition.

He smiled as he remembered seeing Genzo's terrified face as Guyot had him dragged away and forcibly processed in the very first of the Guyver-Killer Zoanoids. Enzyme I. He had watched him die in battle as Guyot made him literally explode.

He realized that he was in debt to Guyot.

He would kill him quickly, when the time came.

To be continued . . .


	15. Chapter 15

Zoalords

Chapter 15

Search

Choshi, Chiba Prefecture

They'd found the van used to transport Agito.

It had been stolen, of course. Guyot hadn't survived so long by leaving a paper trail for anyone to follow. Czyvek's people were going over it with a fine-tipped comb.

Czyvek could no longer smell either Agito's blood or Guyot's scent. He had a very faint scent of Enzyme V acid, but it was almost impossible to follow. The scent of fish was overpowering his senses. His scouts had been forced to give up the trail, unable to pick up any more clues. They were searching boats and abandoned buildings. Czyvek followed his antennae to the docks, then to a specific mooring.

There was no boat at dock.

A few moments later,

"The _Hanuman, _a private yacht registered out of Bombay. The owner wasn't aware it was gone."

Czyvek stared out over the water with multifaceted eyes, his mind touching the many searching Zoanoids, "The _Hanuman_ was found adrift two hours ago by the Coast Guard. No one aboard." He turned to Imakarum Mirabilis, "I'm beginning to believe that we _are_ chasing a ghost."

"He's no ghost," Mirabilis replied bitterly, "Merely a thief and a traitor. I only hope Makashima doesn't kill him. I wish to reserve that honor for myself."

The Ark

"But I was having a good time." Ingriam was upset at being so abruptly rushed to The Ark, especially without an explanation.

"Believe me, it was necessary." Doctor Barcus said, "We will return shortly."

_So, he still lives?_ Archanfel's voice entered Barcus' mind.

_It would appear so, my lord._

_This must be dealt with at once. We cannot allow Guyot to poison CHRONOS further._

Cloud Gate

Ishi didn't know what to think of the newly arrived Zoalord. Lord Vorsted had been responsible for Lord Czyvek losing his position as head of the CCI. He was a coldly efficient man, humorless and ruthless. Perhaps that was good for CHRONOS. But it was a pain in the butt for the people who had to live under Martial Law. As soon as Guyot's name had come up, Lord Vorsted had rushed to Japan to personally supervise the search.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Vorsted sat at Czyvek's desk, going over CHRONOS' files on Richard Guyot. Aside from a few unconfirmed, and apparently uninvestigated, rumors, there was nothing to indicate the man still lived. He doubted that Guyot and Makashima could ever join forces. Each had ample reason to despise the other. One or the other would make himself known, soon.

Ishimaru resented him. He seemed to be ignoring that fact that Czyvek himself had admitted his inability to lead the CCI. The Rocies' record was exemplary, he had both intelligence and skill. The man could be a great leader one day, with discipline. Czyvek had a surprising eye for talent, to see such promise in a street punk.

Speaking of Czyvek.

Lords Czyvek and Mirabilis entered the Command Center.

"I take it you found nothing?"

"Not even fingerprints. Guyot is a living ghost." Mikhail Czyvek took in the man sitting at his desk, using his computer.

"A ghost that needs to be dealt with." Vorsted vacated the desk without apology. "And quickly."

"Perhaps we need an _exorcist_." Czyvek clicked his mandibles together in a sharp, snapping sound. Neither Vorsted nor Mirabilis could tell if it indicated humor or anger. "How long do you intend to keep Japan under Marshal Law? The fishing fleets are already suffering . . ." Vorsted walked to the window, indicating his disinterest. "If we get people moving again, then Guyot will eventually send out agents. We can then find his scent and follow it back to the source." Czyvek reasoned.

"He's right." Mirabilis added, "And people are already beginning to become agitated. We do not need a popular uprising."

"Very well, Martial Law is lifted." Vorsted turned, "But the police and military are to remain on alert. If these terrorists decide to show their heads, we shall be ready to cut them off."

Guyot's base

Makishima had to admit that Guyot had built quite an efficient covert organization. Agito and Aptom had drawn away attention while Guyot hid, slowly gathering agents and technology. By saving Agito, Guyot had drawn attention to himself. He had taken a huge gamble on Guyver III, but why? He knew Agito hated him, but he had broken his cover to save his life. Perhaps he realized that, as long as Agito lived, he would be fighting CHRONOS. He was right, they did want the same thing. They both wanted to crush CHRONOS, and by ensuring Agito's survival he improved his chances of reaching that goal. By merging Guyot's operation and Zeus' Thunderbolts, they could be a powerful force.

The only problem being Guyot himself. Agito could not trust Guyot. He was insane, power-mad and filled with hatred for Archanfel and a desire for vengeance. Still, he could be a useful, if dangerous, pawn. Very well, he would play along, for now.

To be continued . . .


	16. Chapter 16

Zoalords 16

Uprising

The Star Tower, CHRONOS headquarters. Moscow, Russia

6:32 PM local time

Star Tower rose high over Moscow, a shining, modernist symbol of CHRONOS' power and prosperity. Unlike Cloud Gate and The Pillars of Heaven, Star Tower was a single building, reaching for the heavens. It was the tallest building in Europe.

A tall, handsome man in a blue suit and blue and gold striped tie walked into CHRONOS Zoanoid Processing Application Center. The clerk, bored by the constant influx of applicants for 'enhancement', looked up to the well-dressed man.

"Name."

The man smiled, "Gaster."

The blue suit ripped away to reveal a massive, purple skinned Zoanoid with large shoulders brimming with bio-missiles. "For _Zeus_!" He unleashed the missiles, guiding them deep into the facility. Half of CHRONOS' Russian Headquarters disappeared in a ball of fire.

Gaster's last thought was merely a regret that Lord Vorsted was not here to personally see it.

Cloud Gate, Tokyo, Japan

Ishi paled as the message came through his earpiece, "Lord Vorsted!" He turned from his station to the assembled Zoalords, "There's been an attack on Star Tower! Massive casualties are reported . . ."

Zoalord Johnatan Vorsted's icy features suddenly registered shock and horror. His base was under attack! He fled wordlessly, leaving Czyvek and Ishi scrambling to secure Cloud Gate from similar attack. Mirabilis remained behind, certain that Guyot would take advantage of the situation. Caerleon and Bin Jamar could supply aid in Russia. By the time Lord Vorsted reached Moscow, the fire was burning out of control. Zoanoids were fighting a losing battle with the fire until Vorsted used his powers over cold and water to finally extinguish it. Over three fourths of Star Tower had been destroyed, thousands were dead and many were missing.

All CHRONOS bases on Earth were immediately placed upon lock-down. Who knew where the next attack might be?

Cloud Gate was being patrolled by Enzymes of various makes. Czyvek's scientists had managed to recover the data to recreate Enzyme I, and had created versions IV and the flight-capable Enzyme V themselves. As Cloud Gate no longer produced the mindless, doomed and outdated Enzyme III. They were protected by Enzyme I, II, IV and V. There were other, experimental Guyver-Killers and powerful Hyper-Zoanoids as well. Scouts were everywhere, less conspicuous but no less important, eyes and ears and snouts searching for any sign of the enemy.

"Gaster was a Hyper-Zoanoid designed by Doctor Barcus himself. He was among the Zoanoids murdered by Aptom immediately before the destruction of Relic's Point. Agito must have somehow gotten his hands on the design and recreated the type as a Libertus." Zoalord Mikhail Czyvek felt a headache coming on, "If Agito can recreate Gaster, what else can he create?"

"This was no random attack," Mirabilis mused, "This was a message. He wanted to show that the new head of the CCI is helpless in his own country."

"He succeeded," Czyvek replied sadly, "How many more people will die in this senseless war?"

Guyot's base

Agito was as surprised as anyone else that one of his agents had attacked Star Tower. He had been unable to contact most of his agents for several days, and Russia had become one of the most difficult countries in which to operate since Vorsted's appointment. He was pleased that his people could strike even under the heavy hand of CHRONOS Central Intelligence. CHRONOS' credibility as an invulnerable power had been shattered. _The Fall_ had begun.

Martial Law had been lifted, though Japan was on high alert. Zoanoids were everywhere, both openly and in human disguise. With Vorsted preoccupied and the more lenient Czyvek in charge, however, it was a far better situation for everyone. Several of his agents in Japan had been able to join him in Guyot's base. Though understandably suspicious, they had quickly adapted to the situation.

Mirabilis was still in Japan, actively searching for Agito, or, more likely, Guyot, while Czyvek was directing the Zoanoids in their search and trying to protect Cloud Gate, Relic's Point, Takeshiro and several other facilities. Any attack would instantly be met by Mirabilis, an attack on whichever base was currently hosting Czyvek's girlfriend would bring Czyvek as well. Agito knew now that there were too many separate bases producing Unit Remover Zoanoids to destroy them all. They would have to find a way to counter them. Guyot's knowledge of Unit Removers could be key to that.

Of course, CHRONOS wouldn't produce many Unit Removers. Czyvek in his naiveté did not realize that once the Unit Remover Zoanoids had served their purpose and the Guyvers were in Archanfel's hands, they would have outlived their usefulness and become a liability. They would be destroyed. He wondered if Czyvek had figured it out yet.

The Ark

It was, perhaps, the most powerful blow struck against CHRONOS since Lord Yentsui's death. When Aptom had attacked Cloud Gate, Czyvek had not only managed to destroy the cannibal but also to save the structure itself. CHRONOS' Russian Headquarters was almost a total loss. Worse, it housed several important, top-secret projects. It also struck a morale blow, while the leader of CHRONOS Central Intelligence was busy searching for Guyver III in Japan, his own homeland and home base had been attacked. CHRONOS' credibility and power was in question. If a single traitorous Zoanoid could take down Star Tower, what could an army of them do? And all of this had happened within less than two weeks of Vorsted's appointment as head of CHRONOS Intelligence.

It was an unmitigated disaster

Barcus was in a state of mild shock. He had personally created the Hyper-Zoanoid Gaster, and now Agito had somehow managed to use his own design against CHRONOS. How many of his other designs had the terrorists managed to reverse-engineer?

Moscow, Russia

Lord Johnatan Vorsted stood in the smoking rubble of Star Tower. He was shaking with rage. Now he understood Czyvek's obsession with stopping Guyver III. Gaster was a CHRONOS-developed Hyper-Zoanoid, the fact that Agito had managed to reproduce it, without the aid of Doctor Hekkering, was a testament to his adversary's intelligence. Makishima _had_ to be stopped. As he looked across the ruins of Star Tower, Johnatan Vorsted swore that he would rend Guyver III limb from limb.

Fukamachi residence

"Please, Sho. Don't do this!" There were tears in Mizuki's eyes. Fukamachi Sho took his wife in his arms. "I have no choice, Mizuki-chan. Especially now. I can let them come here and fight their Unit Remover Zoanoids and get you all killed, or I can go to them, and they'll leave you alone." "

You don't know that. Do you believe that the other Zoalords wouldn't _lie_ to Czyvek? You can't trust them . . ." Tetsuro reasoned. "I have no choice." Sho replied.

Mizuki's voice broke, "Do you want our _child_ to grow up under CHRONOS?"

Sho held his wife more closely, and smiled sadly, "I want our child to _live_. I want _you_ to live. If that means my death, then it is a small price to pay."

To be continued . . .


	17. Chapter 17

Zoalords 17

Choice

Relic's Point

Dr. Angela Nighthawk watched as the Guyver-creature she had nicknamed 'Agito' consumed a sheep. It was terrifying. She imagined that it resembled Aptom's feeding methods.

The creature was fascinating, from a scientific standpoint. 'He' was a natural metamorph, taking on the attributes of his prey. At several points he had transformed himself, or perhaps reverted, to the form of Makishima Agito. It was disturbing, even being familiar with Zoanoid transformation, to see the creature assume the form of a nude youth. The boys in Jukadan did the same every concert, but they had been born human and processed. She had no idea what this creature should naturally be, if it had a natural form at all. 'He' was _The Thing_, assuming the forms of his prey. And Doctor Barcus' and her own initial assessments had been wrong. This was not a mindless beast. He was cunning, utilizing the forms of previous victims to approach new ones. After his first sheep, he became a sheep the next time a sheep was given him. They had experimented with several different animals, with the same results. He also distinguished between them. He did not become a cow among sheep.

Doctor Shirai theorized that he assumed Agito's form in an attempt to fool humans into coming too close. She was forced to agree.

She was afraid that they would have to destroy him. The thought of killing, especially killing a unique, possibly intelligent life-form, disgusted her. But he was too dangerous to allow him even limited freedom within the base, much less to release him into the outside world. But, to keep him in an observation cell for his entire lifespan, which could be indefinite, was cruel. Perhaps utilizing Ouranos technology they could find a find a way to bring him under control. _How had they harnessed these creatures?_

It was a pity that Doctor Barcus had been recalled to The Ark. Though his lack of morality concerned her, he was probably the greatest genius on Earth. And the stress of so many attacks was beginning to affect morale amongst the scientists and staff at the base. Relic's Point had not been threatened, but the destruction of Star Tower following so closely upon the attack at Takeshiro had everyone on edge.

She began to wonder if having a Guyver Unit was such a good thing after all.

The Ark

"I am . . . Hesitant to send you back to Earth, Kenji. Much has happened in the past few days." Archanfel was feeling tired again, the stresses of the attack on Star Tower and the subsequent disruption of CHRONOS' affairs was deeply troubling. "Even Silha may not be safe for us until the threat is dealt with."

Kenji didn't like the sound of that. "If anybody tries to attack Silha, I'll kill them myself." Archanfel was not surprised by the boy's response, he had been trained to act. Unlike Czyvek, he was more than capable of dealing with an opponent without hesitation. But against a _Guyver_. . . Archanfel treasured the boy as if he were his own. He could not allow harm to come to him. "I know that you would do anything for me, Kenji. But I do not wish to risk you being harmed by . . . By our enemies, you are far too precious to me." "But I can take care of myself." "I know that. I just need to deal with something first. Something important to me." He did not want Kenji to know that Guyot still lived. Such knowledge might trouble him.

"I have nine Zoalords on Earth at this moment to defend our interests. Stay here, I need you. I am growing tired, and Barcus can only help so much."

"Okay. I'll help you."

Cloud Gate

The entrance to Cloud Gate was heavily guarded, following the incident in Russia and the fact that Guyver III and possibly Richard Guyot were still loose in Japan. The facility was closed to the public until the crisis was over.

A Synevite soldier pointed several tentacles toward the small, thin figure approaching the entrance, "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yeah." His partner, an Enzyme IV replied, his acid-spewing proboscis ready despite his orders, just in case.

_Let him enter._ There was confusion in Lord Czyvek's mental voice.

The Zoanoid guards parted like water as Fukamachi Sho entered Cloud Gate.

For some reason, Sho was not surprised the Zoanoids allowed him entry. He cringed when he noted Enzyme I and II's among the sentries. Enzyme I, Makishima Genzo, had _killed_ him in a brutal battle, and Enzyme II . . . His father, Fumio, had been the first Enzyme II, and Sho had been forced to kill him. Forced to kill him by CHRONOS, the very group to whom he was surrendering. He swallowed hard and walked on. A lanky Malcult met him at the entrance, "Please, follow me. Lord Czyvek is anxious to see you." The Zoanoid led him to an executive elevator.

Ishi blinked and rubbed his eyes as Sho walked into the room. They knew each other, Ishi sometimes visited them in behalf of Lord Czyvek, but he'd not expected to see Guyver I here. Mikhail Czyvek stood near the center of the room, in human form. Confusion was written across his features.

Sho was amazed at how easy it had been to gain access to Lord Czyvek. True, he was personally an ally, but to allow one of CHRONOS' greatest enemies to enter their headquarters was incredible.

"Sho? Why have you come here? Lord Mirabilis is still in Japan. If he returns, I may not be able to protect you."

"It . . . Doesn't matter anymore. You said that Archanfel agreed to spare Mizuki and Tetsuro if he could get the Guyver. Well, he can have it. My life doesn't matter. Just see to it that no harm comes to them." His voice was firm, but his eyes were red and tired.

"You're _sacrificing_ yourself?" Czyvek's voice quivered slightly. He had not expected this. "In only a few months the Unit Remover Zoanoids will be ready. It's too early to . . ."

"For three years Mizuki and Tetsuro have suffered because of this," He pointed at his forehead, where the Control Medallion would be when Bio-Boosted, "That's far too long. Now that Vorsted is in charge of the CCI, you can't protect us anymore. It's me they want. I _trust_ you. Please, protect them . . ."

Czyvek sunk heavily into his chair. There were tears in Ishi's eyes. "Oh, God," Ishi had never heard Czyvek's voice so strained, so anguished.

"I'm glad to see you've finally come to your senses, Sho." All eyes turned to Imakarum Mirabilis. He walked slowly into the room, a tall, elegant figure in a sweeping cloak and dark glasses. Sho knew that this man was not who he appeared to be. In another life he had been Masaki Murakami, a journalist and close friend of Sho, the man who'd protected them from CHRONOS. Sho had been unable to return the favor. Murakami had been captured and brainwashed, had ceased to exist. Imakarum Mirabilis was little more than a puppet of Archanfel now, an extension of his will. "Why is everyone so unhappy? This is what you all want." The sight of Mirabilis/Murakami filled Sho with rage, "Do you think I _want_ to give an alien super weapon to the people that _murdered_ my father? That turned you into this? I want to protect the people I care about, something you can't possibly understand."

Mirabilis snarled, "I understand. More _deeply_ than you can possibly know. But I have accepted what my life has become. What my _son's_ life has become."

"S-son? You have a son?" A look of absolute horror crossed Sho's face, if they did this to Murakami, what would they do to his child?

"It wasn't CHRONOS," Czyvek intervened quickly, "It was _Guyot_. The traitor kidnapped . . ."

"Let's not discuss this now." Mirabilis cut him off, "You will surrender yourself to us if we spare your wife and friends. _Agreed_. Though, I imagine, Mizuki must have taken it hard."

A tear rolled down Sho's cheek, "She begged me not to do this. But I knew it was only a matter of time, once the new Zoanoids come out. I . . . I didn't do this lightly. I . . ." Sho sat on one of the guest chairs and buried his head in his hands.

_You promised me his life! Archanfel promised to spare his life! _Czyvek's mental voice was insistent.

_That depends on whether or not he behaves until the Unit Remover Zoanoids are ready. Once we have the Guyver, he will be freed._

"Where will you take me?" Sho asked.

"Here seems appropriate." Mirabilis observed. "Mikhail will keep you safe, and you are unlikely to attack your greatest ally on The Council."

"He lives only a short way from here," Czyvek noted, "surely his own ho . . ."

"_NO!_" Sho stood up, he looked down sheepishly, "I'm sorry. I know you want to help me, Lord Czyvek, but if I stay at my home Mizuki could become a target." He sighed heavily, "Will . . . _Barcus_ be involved?"

"Possibly. There are many tests that need to be run, questions that need to be answered."

"Doctor Nighthawk and Lord Nguyen are more than qualified to examine Sho." Czyvek stated warily.

"But Lord Barcus will want to personally examine the Guyver."

"It is unwise to have Barcus here, considering what he did." There was a hint of anger in his voice.

"With respect, sirs, I think it's kind of a bad time for you two to fight." Ishi interjected.

"Yes, I suppose it is." Lord Mirabilis turned to leave, "I shall confer with Lord Archanfel on this development." He paused and looked back, "You made the right choice, Sho."

To be continued . . .


	18. Chapter 18

Zoalords

Chapter 18

The Eye

The whispers came from the darkness

_An Eye is upon you_.

_An Evil Eye_

_An All-Seeing Eye_.

_An All-Consuming Eye_.

_Cyaegha_.

_The Eye of Ouranos_.

The Eye was the sun, and the sun was the Eye. The Eye opened, spilling blood red light upon the world. A terrible, angry Eye burning away all that fell beneath its gaze.

Mikhail Czyvek sat up in bed. Outside the cold winds howled against Cloud Gate, driven by the mind of the troubled Zoalord. He had transformed in his sleep, shredding his sheets and bedclothes. His heart seemed to strike against his carapace.

Had he been in human form, he would have been drenched in sweat.

He pulled himself out of bed and walked to the bathroom, his hard chitinous feet sending echoes through the room . He looked into the mirror. A shiny black beetle with fierce mandibles stared back through red, multifaceted eyes.

_Judgement Day._ He thought gloomily, _Are we the Angels, or are we the Demons_? _Shall we be found wanting_?

He was afraid to answer that question.

_An Eye is Upon You_, the first piece in Powerman 5000's _Tonight the Stars Revolt! _He had heard Ishi play it many times. He actually enjoyed listening to the band's work.

But what was _Cyaegha_?

He ran a quick computer search. Cyaegha was a Great Old One from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, created by a writer named Eddy C. Bertin. A nihilistic force of utter destruction that appeared as a great, tentacled eye. He had no idea where he'd heard the name before.

It didn't matter. They both represented the same thing to him.

The Ouranos. The Creators. The Destroyers.

Czyvek had heard of the so-called '_God gene_' that impelled humans to seek out the Divine. He wondered if there was some sort of racial memory, a survival instinct that impelled some humans to fear and distrust the Ouranos. Much as many humans naturally cringed at the growls of a tiger or the roar of the lion.

_Hungry Eyes_ . . .

The winds began to calm, but Czyvek's nerves were still on edge.

"Sir, are you alright?" Ishi's voice came through Czyvek's door.

"Yes . . . Just a bad dream. Thank you, Ishi." He paused, then walked to the door and opened it, "Did you have a strange dream tonight?"

Ishi ran a hand through his wild, orange hair, "No. I felt kind of anxious, but I don't think I had any dreams. I could have forgotten . . ."

"That's alright. I'm fine, really. Go back to bed."

"Yes, sir." He closed the door and heard Ishi's footsteps recede into the distance.

_Did I scream?_ He wondered, _Did my telepathy project my fear into the Zoanoids?_

Sho lay wide-awake in bed, listening to the wind howl. Suddenly it stopped, and the air became relatively calm. _It must be hard on the Aerial Zoanoids, coping with the wild weather Czyvek's powers create._ He stood and walked over to the window, opening the shades to stare out into the night. He could see for miles, the lights of skyscrapers twinkled below him. No building needed to be this tall.

He thought of Mizuki, of the child she carried, his child.

Was this the right choice?

He didn't know. But it was the only one he could make, now.

To be continued . . .


	19. Chapter 19

Zoalords

Chapter 19

People

Cloud Gate

The Control Center

Sho watched as Ishi chatted with his girlfriend on his tablet. He didn't realize how lucky he was. He didn't have to worry about Zoanoids attacking Amiko. CHRONOS didn't have a price on their heads, didn't hunt them, spy on them . . . He had nothing against Ishi, he was a good man and a friend who had helped them several times in the past. It just hurt that Sho was denied the freedom of a simple life with the woman he loved.

He cursed the day he found the Guyver Unit.

Lord Czyvek had assigned him comfortable quarters, and Mizuki and the others were free to visit him, but he was a prisoner, albeit in a gilded cage. He could go almost anywhere he wanted within the building, and even leave, if he wanted. But he would be watched. He was always watched.

Mercifully, Barcus had yet to 'visit' him.

"And, when it touched you, it was reabsorbed?" Dr. Nighthawk asked, breaking his revery. She was a small, plump woman, a full-blooded Navajo from America who spoke Japanese with a soft accent. She was a kind woman, trying to make her examinations as easy as possible for him. She was also, he gathered, Lord Czyvek's girlfriend. "Yes. It was, I don't know how to describe it, _sucked_ into the Control Medallion. I don't know if that was what it had wanted, to rejoin the Unit, or if it trying to attack me and was . . . _Eaten_." It was hard to describe certain things, and his death at the hands of Enzyme I and subsequent 'rebirth', along with his twisted, monstrous twin was beyond his understanding. Still, he answered as best he could, and she seemed to understand his confusion. "I'm asking you this because, in Guyver III's last attack, his arm was severed. That arm grew into a creature like the one you encountered." She explained, "I don't want to harm it, but it is incredibly dangerous. I was hoping we could find a way to control it."

"Did you try to process it? Then a Zoalord shouldn't have any problem controlling it." Sho asked. He couldn't believe he was actually suggesting that some poor creature be _processed_ into a Zoanoid! How easy it was to be pulled in by CHRONOS. Dr. Nighthawk, Ishi and Lord Czyvek himself all sincerely believed CHRONOS a force for good, despite all the evidence to the contrary. He wondered what had led a woman like Doctor Nighthawk to join CHRONOS in the first place.

"His structure is too unstable, his cells fluctuate and change too quickly for conventional processing techniques." She replied.

"I really don't know much about that kind of thing." He admitted. Science was Tetsuro's field, not his. He remembered the creature, how it _became_ him. "Does it ever take Agito's form?"

Dr. Nighthawk nodded, "Yes, occasionally. We believe he may be trying to deceive us with a human form . . ." She smiled, "Thank you for your help. I can't imagine how hard it must be to talk about what happened." Dr. Nighthawk put down her Tablet, "It's almost lunch time, are you hungry?"

"No, not really."

"I understand that you don't have much of an appetite, being here, having to answer all these questions. But even a Guyver needs to eat sometime."

Ishi looked up in confusion, "A Pod has landed. Lord Archanfel and Kenji are here."

Doctor Nighthawk's face registered shock. Archanfel almost never left The Ark, and to bring Kenji here, with Guyver I in the building and Guyver III and Guyot waiting in the wings.

_Kenji? Mr. Murakami's son?_ Sho had been told the basic facts about Murakami Kenji, but had not expected to meet him.

Both Archanfel and Kenji/Ingriam were exited. Kenji would finally get to meet a Guyver, a real, live Guyver, and Archanfel would have a chance to speak with him peacefully. It was a testament to Czyvek's dogged persistence that Guyver I had simply surrendered peacefully rather than fight a losing war. Archanfel had not intended to leave The Ark, or let Kenji leave The Ark, until Guyot was dead. But this was too important not to attend to. It was also a much-needed boost in morale since the disaster in Russia. Guyver I had been quiet for some time now, since Czyvek decided to 'leave him alone' he had been content to live peacefully, but his surrender was still a major victory for CHRONOS. Perhaps they could even persuade him to join them.

Lords Czyvek and Mirabilis stood on the landing pad, unfazed by the lashing winds and high altitude. As the Pod landed, both men were nervous. If their enemies attacked . . .

"Why did you bring Kenji, Lord Archanfel?" Mirabilis asked.

"You know Fukamachi well enough to know that he will not harm Kenji, especially as he knows who he is."

"I wanted to come, dad."

"Please, come inside." Czyvek had to shout to be heard over the wind. Archanfel might not be up to the physical stress of their current location.

"Yes. Let us speak with Guyver I. I trust he has been cooperative."

"Yes," Czyvek held the door as his fellow Zoalords entered, "He is quite reasonable when people aren't trying to _murder_ him and everyone he loves." He could feel Imakarum Mirabilis glaring at him through his dark glasses.

"As I have told you so often, Mikhail, what is done is done." Archanfel said simply, "We cannot change the past, only the future."

Czyvek's thoughts flashed to the movie _Star Wars: Return of The Jedi_. Emperor Palpatine had traveled to the Death Star, made himself a target to lure the Rebels into a trap. The plan had drawn the Rebels alright, but Palpatine had been the one to die. Though he considered Barcus to be more like the unfortunate Emperor, Czyvek realized that Archanfel had placed himself in a similar situation. Archanfel was taking a terrible risk. If an attack was launched on Cloud Gate while Archanfel was present, it could be the end of CHRONOS, and the world would collapse into anarchy.

_Palpatine was betrayed and murdered by his apprentice, not the Rebels. And I am certain Hamilcar would not find the comparison flattering._

_I merely mean that you are placing yourself in needless danger. There is no reason for you to risk your life coming here._

_I do not die so easily. _

_Famous last words._

_Have a little faith, Mikhail._

_That's the problem, my Lord. I only have a_ little_ faith._

The problem with living among telepaths is an utter lack of privacy.

"If Doctor Barcus is Emperor Palpatine, who are you, Mr. Czyvek?"

"Poggle the Lesser. Or maybe Salacious Crumb."

"Poggle was killed by Darth Vader too."

"Yes, Kenji, he was. But I'm armed with more than a bone staff." With that the doors to the Control Center opened.

Everyone in the room knelt as the Supreme Zoalord entered, everyone except Sho, who merely gave a polite bow. He owed no fealty to Archanfel. His eyes were on the young man standing beside the angelic leader of CHRONOS.

_Murakami Kenji._

He was beautiful, almost to the point of being feminine. He looked like he'd just stepped from the pages of a _Shojo_ Manga. Slender, graceful with an elegant bone structure so perfect that Sho was briefly convinced that he was a woman. There was a hint of his father here and there, but on the whole he must have favored his mother. And his mother must have been a stunningly beautiful woman.

Archanfel looked over Fukamachi Sho curiously. This child had, by accident, become one of the greatest dangers CHRONOS had ever faced, yet he had surrendered without a fight. He looked thin and tired compared to the last time he had seen him. Three years of battling CHRONOS has clearly taken its toll on his spirit. "Fukamachi Sho. Guyver I." Archanfel's voice was as beautiful as he was, "I am grateful that you chose a peaceful resolution. Rest assured, I shall keep my promise to Mikhail. Your family will not be harmed."

At the mention of family Kenji's mind went back to that terrible day, the fire, his mom's screams . . . Archanfel quickly pushed those thoughts from his mind. Sho's mind was on his father, transformed into Enzyme II and forced to do battle with his own child by Barcus. Slain by Guyver I's own hand.

Archanfel stepped forward and gently brushed Sho's cheek with a thin, elegant finger. Sho reflexively pulled away. He realized that he could, at that moment, strike down Archanfel and destroy CHRONOS once and for all. But killing him in cold blood was beyond his ability. And it was not Archanfel he hated. "CHRONOS has not been kind to you. _Mistakes_ were made." That was an understatement, "You are a remarkable man, Sho. As one of your great religious leaders once said, '_There is no greater love than this, that a man should lay down his life in behalf of his friends_.' We have no desire to see you lay down your life, however. In fact, Mikhail has prevailed upon us to spare your life and your friend's lives from the moment he joined The Council."

"I know, and I am most grateful." Sho looked in the Zoalord's direction. Looking into Archanfel's beautiful face with his cat's eyes was almost unbearable for him. Czyvek looked pale and nervous. Archanfel directed Sho's attention to Kenji, "This is Ingriam Mirabilis. You have never met, but I think you will find him pleasant company". Imakarum Mirabilis' head turned rather violently, "_Company?_" "Relax child. This is merely a brief meeting." Archanfel resumed speaking with Sho, "It might interest you to know that Lord Barcus is greatly pained with remorse for his actions against you and your father."

_Only because it made me hate CHRONOS and spoiled his plans. _Sho thought bitterly. He could forgive CHRONOS as a group, but not Barcus and Guyot. He could never forgive them.

Kenji/Ingriam put out his hand and Sho took it. His grip was incredible, and he smiled, "Are you going to turn into the Guyver for us?"

"Yes . . . I guess so." It was odd to think that this man standing before him was actually a ten year old child. "But, you have to be a few feet away. The transformation destroys anything within a few feet of me."

Both Sho and Czyvek immediately thought of Tora Kenishiro, Gelpess, who had been vaporized while handcuffed to Sho. He had been one of Czyvek's closest friends, and Sho knew that memory was a painful one for the Zoalord.

He felt like an animal performing for a crowd, but he had nothing against Kenji. In fact, he owed him, and his father, a great deal in many ways. He stepped back, and transformed. "WOW! That's so cool!" Kenji reached out to touch the Guyver armor, "It's warm. I guess it should be, since it's alive." Sho noted that Imakarum seemed ready to pounce at the slightest threatening movement. He honestly couldn't blame him. It seemed even his transformation could not take away his love for his son. "What does it feel like? To wear?"

"Well, it's kind of like a warm blanket. But tough, too. It's hard to describe."

A sudden, muted pinging noise rang through the air. Guyver I looked down and almost laughed. His cellphone was ringing. He powered down and looked at it. It was Mizuki. "I'm sorry, Mizuki-chan, this is a _really_ bad time." He held up the phone and sent her a snapshot of Archanfel, "I'm alright. Don't worry. I'll call back later. And I love you."

Kenji and Ishi laughed, and even Archanfel managed a smile. "Keeping you on a short leash, is she?" Mirabilis chuckled.

"Let's go see the Zoanoids." Kenji said abruptly. "Have you seen the Unit Remover Zoanoids yet, Sho?"

"No. I haven't." In truth he had no desire to see the processing center or the labs. Despite this, Sho accompanied the Zoalords down into the processing center. He hated the place, where men and women willingly gave up their humanity. Or had it stolen. There were so many tubes, so many types of Zoanoids. There were insects, reptiles, wolf men, octopi, and things he couldn't recognize as related to anything in nature. There must have been thousands of people in this single lab, and it was only one of several in Japan. Worldwide, hundreds of millions of people were probably being processed, or had already been. Soon, there would be few, if any, non-Zoanoid humans on Earth.

Finally, they reached the Unit Remover Zoanoids. They were massive, especially their upper bodies. So massive, in fact, that Sho wondered if they would be able to stand upright. So, this was the ultimate weapon. He had fought, and destroyed, much larger foes, but these were walking Unit Removers. He wondered if they would actually be capable of removing the Guyver from its host. They would know very soon, according to the charts under the closest tube the Zoanoid would be fully processed and ready to fight within two weeks.

Kenji was excited, like a kid in a candy store. So many cool Zoanoids. Czyvek had the most diverse types of Zoanoids of any other Zoalord, in part because he refused to discontinue models that didn't 'work out', unless the 'mistakes' harmed the Zoanoid. Kenji had a say in that, too, with Doctor Barcus. He wasn't about to let them stop making Zoanoids he liked, like Curvill. He knew that Czyvek also liked Curvill, they reminded him of Fenris and his people. There were older model Enzymes, too. Kenji especially liked Enzyme I, it was like a big, fluffy white teddy bear. Czyvek was even trying to recreate certain models designed by CHRONOS' enemies, including the Branchai, Gastal and a more stable, longer-living Libertus. In addition, he was mingling different breeds, and had already given Ishi the Gastal's ability to turn completely invisible.

Sho noticed that Kenji had wandered off, admiring the Zoanoids. He wondered what damage Guyot had done to the boy's mind. Archanfel had undoubtedly altered his mind as well. He looked sadly to Imakarum Mirabilis. There was so little of Murakami Masaki left that he was, effectively, dead.

Would that happen to him? To Mizuki? To their child?

"You said that you had a Guyver-Creature, Dr. Nighthawk." Sho asked, " Is he here?"

"No, we keep him at another base. We aren't sure how to safely transport him, and if he got loose in Cloud Gate . . ." She shrugged, "So we keep him were he was 'grown'."

"Does the creature interest you, Sho?" Archanfel asked.

"I'd like to know what I have in my head even more than you do." Sho turned to Archanfel, "I'd also like to know a lot of things. I'd like to know about _you_. What do you want? What is all this for? CHRONOS, The Ark, X-Day, _why_?"

Archanfel turned, "Lord Czyvek has already explained my motivations, albeit in a somewhat biased way."

"What will you do if they come, and they _attack_ you?" Sho pressed, "What would you do if they try to destroy us again? Make the moon crash into the Earth or . . .?"

Archanfel frowned, "I see Czyvek's paranoia has affected you as well."

"Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean you're _wrong_." Sho replied.

Archanfel walked away. He clearly had no desire to discuss that possibility further.

Czyvek merely shrugged helplessly. It was clear he had attempted this conversation before.

Mirabilis walked away as well, looking for Kenji and leaving Sho with Czyvek, Ishi and Dr. Nighthawk. Sho looked at Czyvek, "What will _you_ do if the Creators attack?"

"Whatever I can to stop them. Lord Purgstall wanted to bring peace to the world, not destruction. And I believe Lord Archanfel would fight them as well. He nearly died saving the world from them before." He looked out over the rows of Zoanoids, "But, they may have to the ability to control us just as we Zoalords can control Zoanoids."

"They can't control a Guyver."

"No, they can't. Perhaps if . . . _No_. It's for the best, I think. Without the Guyver, you will have a good chance at a normal life. It may be centuries before they arrive, if they come at all."

Sho could only hope he was right on both counts.

To be continued . . .


	20. Chapter 20

Zoalords

Chapter 20

Return to Relic's Point

Guyot's Base

"I knew Fukamachi would crack." Agito observed, "He never did have the stomach for it." In truth, Sho's surrender disturbed him. It was a major victory for CHRONOS, having Guyver I under their control. He wondered how they had managed it. Sho might believe Czyvek, but he hated CHRONOS almost as much as Agito did. He knew that Czyvek was the least of The Divine Twelve, that The Council could lie to them both and he'd be helpless to stop them. Yet Sho put his life in CHRONOS' hands.

_Why?_

"But you do. You have all that is required of a king." Guyot was pleased with Sho's decision. Now they had a Guyver Unit and a number of Unit Remover Zoanoids under one roof. He still retained some of his power, even without a Zoacrystal, (and Agito was not so foolish as to consider giving him Shizu's), including telepathy. He could take control of a Zoanoid or small group of Zoanoids as long as another Zoalord was not present. Czyvek could easily be lured away from Cloud Gate, and he was still mastering his powers. Mirabilis, however, posed a greater problem. Now that he knew that the man who had taken and processed his son still lived, he would not rest until one of them was dead.

"I do not want to be a king. I want to be a _god_. I _will_ be a god."

Guyot had to admit, he admired the boy. He had ambition, intelligence and the will to act. It was a pity he would have to kill him once the Guyver Unit and Archanfel's Zoacrystal were his.

Oh well, he would still have _Kenji_.

Moscow, Russia

Lord Johnatan Vorsted watched the Zeus' Thunderbolts' base burn. The terrorists had chosen to destroy themselves rather than surrender. He had to admire that, but he had hoped to interrogate them. Learn of other cells. Names. Places. He desperately wanted to get back to Japan and find Guyver III, especially now that Guyver I was in custody. He needed to set his own house in order first, however. He had to destroy the Resistance in Russia before he could safely return to deal with Agito. Russia was under total Martial Law, and he had reinstated the KGB as part of the CCI. He was certain he would soon have things under control.

And then Agito would pay for his crimes against CHRONOS.

Relic's Point

The place brought back memories. Ugly memories. He had lost much at Relic's Point. His freedom. His innocence. His father. Still, he bore up. This was not exactly the same facility, a new one had been built under Czyvek's supervision. This time he was a welcome guest. Free to do as he wished. The Zoanoids around him were not aggressive enemies, but simply people doing a job. The world had changed, in a very literal way. CHRONOS was the world's sole government. Millions of people had become Zoanoids of their own free will. But that didn't erase the pain, the suffering. The loss. Before Lord Czyvek had publicly cleared their names, Sho and his friends had been labelled 'terrorists' because they had the misfortune of falling into a seemingly never-ending nightmare. Nothing would ever be the same again.

If not for his wife and unborn child, Sho would rather CHRONOS kill him once they had the Guyver.

Unlike most CHRONOS bases, the rebuilt Relic's Point was built in an organic rather than modernist style. It resembled, in a way, the interior of the destroyed Relic for which it had been named. It seemed a warmer, more welcoming place.

But it still had containment cells.

Sho stood before one of those cells, separated from the thing inside by a powerful force field. The hulking creature was crouched at the far side of the cell, watching them with gleaming eyes. This _was_ the Guyver. This was what was in Agito's head. In his own head. It's bubble-gum colored flesh warped and twisted and suddenly it was Agito, naked, wild-eyed and perfect. Sho looked away. Doctor Shirai hobbled over, leaning on a gleaming metal cane. The cyborg seemed unreal to Sho, something out of a science fiction movie. Shirai reached up and put his palm on Sho's forehead, as if trying to feel the Unit beneath. "Remarkable." He muttered to himself, then, "Do you feel it inside you?"

"No. Not really."

"Strange." The old man then turned and went to watch the Guyver-Thing.

"You will have to excuse Doctor Shirai," The small, Southeast Asian Zoalord Tran Nguyen said, "He's a bit odd, but harmless." Sho had heard of Nguyen, of course, but this was the first time he had ever seen him in person, much less spoken to him. He was a friendly man who reminded him a bit of Tetsuro. Like Doctor Nighthawk and Ishi, he seemed an odd fit in his conception of CHRONOS. The organization had changed since X-Day, more people like Purgstall and Czyvek, honest, honorable people, had given them a new direction, at least in earthly affairs.

As for unearthly affairs . . .

"Lord Nguyen," Sho decided to observe the formality of titles, "May I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course.

"Why did you join CHRONOS?"

Nguyen looked at him as if he had asked why the sky was blue. "CHRONOS promised me a better world. And they kept that promise. They brought peace to my country. To the world itself. Farmers can work their fields and children can play without fear of landmines and unexploded bombs. There are no more children starving . . ." His black eyes registered sadness, or pity, "I know that you have suffered. I, too, lost my father to violence as a child. I cannot blame you for hating CHRONOS, but the CHRONOS you know and the CHRONOS I know are totally different organizations. Doctor Hamilcar Barcus is a colleague and a friend. What Doctor Barcus did to you was evil, but the Hamilcar Barcus I know is not evil. Life is not so black and white." He paused thoughtfully for a moment, "I don't know what was in his heart when he killed your father, but I do not think it was _cruelty_. He did what he felt was necessary to retrieve the Guyver Unit for Lord Archanfel. Please, understand, I do not mean to be insensitive, that is no excuse for his actions, but that is all that can be said. Barcus has been immortal for over three hundred years, he has watched many generations grow old and die. He does not think as other men do. Mortal life does not hold the same importance to a being such as Hamilcar, or Lord Archanfel."

"Czyvek told me that he is completely amoral. But he also told me that he cares about Archanfel and the other Zoalords, that he mourned when Purgstall and Yenstui died. That tells me that he is capable of caring, he just doesn't _bother_ to do so."

"I'm sure that Mikhail has also told you that most Zoalords see Zoanoids as nameless, expendable tools. That is also true. It is a cold, cruel way to live. Perhaps it is the wrong way. But if we form personal attachments with everyone under our command, we will go mad. Some of us, like Czyvek, Amniculus and myself, try to be as humane as possible. But sometimes we must send Zoanoids out to fight, to die. Czyvek and Amniculus can fight on their own, but I am weak and cannot. It is a terrible thing to send men to their deaths, but there is no alternative when an army of Libertus and Guyver III are breaking down the doors."

"I understand the need to fight, Lord Nguyen. Lord Purgstall, when he was alive, fought to protect innocent people. I fought him because we were both deceived by a fake Guyver that killed a lot of innocent people." He shook his head sadly, "No, it wasn't the Zoanoids who were responsible for the deaths. They were just slaves. It was the Zoalords controlling them, the ones who murdered Lord Purgstall, who bear the guilt for all the deaths, including the Zoanoids."

"The Branchai brothers."

"Excuse me?"

"The Zoanoids who formed the false Guyver. They were three brothers. The Branchai Brothers."

Sho thought back to that terrible day that left so many, including Lord Friedrich von Purgstall, dead. He had killed the Branchai brothers to stop their rampage. A rampage that they probably had absolutely no control over. If people knew the truth about life as a Zoanoid, he sincerely doubted that so many would be willing to be converted.

"Lord Purgstall was the most gentle of the Divine Twelve, and the most noble. He put his people's welfare above his own. Everything Lord Czyvek does is in some way in tribute to him. He does what he believes his lord would have done in his situation." Tran mused, "According to Mikhail, Lord Purgstall believed that you were an honorable man. He was right."

Sho had a great deal of respect for Friedrich von Purgstall, he had been a brave and honorable man and one of the few things about CHRONOS that he could not rightly fault or resent.

"I joined CHRONOS because I believed, and still believe, that it is the best hope for this world and its people." He smiled, "I'm sorry, Mr. Fukamachi. I have to attend to my work. I must go."

"Of course. It was nice meeting you."

"The pleasure was all mine."

As Lord Nguyen walked away, Sho found himself alone.

Archanfel found Sho's actions and observations fascinating. He was keeping a close eye on Guyver I, and those with whom he interacted. It seemed highly unlikely that Sho would join CHRONOS of his own free will, his resentment toward Hamilcar was too deep. But he was pliable, and could be manipulated. He was likeable, and Archanfel regretted that the Zoanoid recovery team had not tried to enlist him rather than simply attacking him. But, as he himself was forced to repeatedly remind others, the past could not be undone. Perhaps they could still recruit him, but it would not be necessary if the Unit Remover Zoanoids performed as expected. Still, it would have been pleasant to have Sho on their side and to take Makashima's Guyver for Archanfel's use.

"Sho?" Sho turned to see Kenji standing behind him. "Yes, Ken- Lord Ingriam?"

"Would you tell me about how you knew my dad?"

To be continued . . .


	21. Chapter 21

Zoalords

Chapter 21

Murakami

"How did you know my father?"

Sho didn't know how to respond to that innocent question. Murakami Masaki as he knew him was dead, and Imakarum Mirabilis no doubt wanted him to stay dead and buried. But he had been a friend, a mentor. Kenji deserved to know the truth.

"Your father, Murakami Masaki, saved my life and the life of my friend, Tetsuro when we were attacked by Zoanoids who were after the Guyver. He joined up with us, helped us many times against CHRONOS. He taught me about Zoanoids and Zoalords, he helped me and Agito rescue Mizuki and Tetsuro when they were kidnapped and taken to Relic's Point. The original Relic's Point. We thought he'd died fighting Guyot . . ."

Kenji's eyes widened at the mention of Guyot, then hardened.

"A year later, Agito convinced me to help him attack Cloud Gate and Lord Purgstall. I didn't know that Lord Purgstall was a good man, then. But we were confronted by your father. He wasn't the same man we'd known before. He was . . . " Sho didn't know how to explain what had happened to Murakami, "_Different_."

Kenji could barely remember the time when his father had fought _against _CHRONOS. Now CHRONOS and the Council were the good guys. Did that mean that his father was a bad guy before CHRONOS?

"I . . . I remember hiding a lot. People burned down my house, killed my mom. Dad didn't want them to find me, but _Guyot_ found me. Archanfel saved me and my dad. Guyot tried to kill both of us. . ."

Sho put a hand on Kenji's shoulder. He didn't know what to say to Kenji. He was a part of CHRONOS now, brainwashed by Archanfel, just like his father, but he still remembered the crimes CHRONOS had committed against him and his family. Did Kenji even know that it was almost certainly CHRONOS agents who had murdered his mother? It must be so terribly confusing not to know who was the 'good guy' and 'bad guy', especially for a child.

Lord Imakarum Mirabilis was headed angrily toward Sho and Kenji when Archanfel's mental voice stopped him.

_Let them speak._

_But he could harm Kenji. Confuse him with talk of a dead man._

_He will not harm Kenji. I wish to study Sho, his mind is closed to me, so I must rely upon his words._

_I don't want him filling my son's head with meaningless memories!_

_Are they meaningless, my child? One day Kenji will have to be told who he, and you, once were._

_But I should be the one to tell him, not Fukamachi!_

_Do not worry, I can remove anything damaging from Kenji's mind, if it comes to that. But I do not believe that Sho will try to turn Kenji against us. He does not want to harm the child in such a way.  
_

"Guyot tried to kill us, too. Your father protected us, saved our lives."

"Then why does he want to kill you now?"

Sho opened his mouth, but no words came.

"Why do you fight CHRONOS?"

"Because from the moment Tetsuro and I accidentally came across the Guyver Unit CHRONOS has been trying to kill us."

"We're not trying to kill you now."

"No, you're not. Don't misunderstand, I don't want to be your enemy. I'd like to be your friend. I don't hate all the people in CHRONOS, most of them are just normal people. Good people. Like you. Some of them are my friends. But some are bad people, it's them I fight. And Barcus forced me to kill my own father. I can't forgive that."

Kenji looked down at his feet, "Do have a mother? I mean, is she alive?"

"My mother died when I was about your age. My dad was all I had left."

"Like me."

Sho smiled sadly, "Yes. We have a lot in common."

"Why did you give yourself up?"

"Because I have a family now. I'm the one they want. If they have me, they should leave my family alone."

"Do you have any kids?"

"Not yet. But my wife is going to have a baby."

"Are you going to join CHRONOS now?"

"No. They'll take my Guyver Unit once the new Zoanoids are activated. They've promised to let me live, but I don't know what to believe. My life is unimportant, only my loved ones matter. I want to be with my wife, my friends. See our child grow up, live a normal life, as normal as possible after what we've been through. But if CHRONOS decides to kill me, I'm prepared. If they try to harm my family, I'll make them regret it. With or without a Guyver."

"I have to go. My dad's calling me." Kenji stood up, "I'm sorry about your dad."

"Thank you." Sho replied. "I'm sorry about your mother, too."

Once Kenji left, Sho realized that he was crying.

Imakarum Mirabilis walked quickly to meet his son. "Kenji, do you hear that? In your mind?"

Kenji opened his mind as far as he could. There was a sound, it was like a scream of pain, and he quickly blocked it out. He didn't want to feel it. "Yeah. What is it?"

"I don't know, but Lord Archanfel and I have to investigate. I need you to stay here, with Mr. Czyvek."

"Can't I come?"

"I'm sorry, Kenji. But Archanfel doesn't want anyone to see it yet." Imakarum really did not want to leave Kenji here, but Archanfel was still weak, almost defenseless. He had no choice.

"You can trust me."

"I know. But I have to do as Lord Archanfel says." Imakarum Mirabilis leaned forward and kissed his son on the forehead, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

_I don't like leaving him alone, especially with Guyot still on the loose._

_Relax child. Mikhail will protect him. I have a feeling Fukamachi would protect him as well. I cannot allow him to see this._

_What is it?_

_A space ship. _

To be continued . . .


	22. Chapter 22

Zoalords

Chapter 22

Warning

It came streaking from the sky like a meteor, trailing flame and smoke as it plummeted into the Mediterranean Sea. But this was no stone, judging from the strong psychic signals it was sending. As Lord Ali Bin Jamar reached the site, it bobbed upon the waves, half-hidden by steam. It resembled a Chinese Lantern, a Chinese Lantern set ablaze, and it stank of burnt flesh. There was a faint stirring within the craft, and the Zoalord rushed to help the occupant. The creature within vaguely resembled a serpent, but its sinuous body was covered in a thick layer of brilliantly colored feathers. Its magnificent plumage was burnt and stained with both the life fluid of its ship and its own. As the Zoalord lifted it from the vessel he could see that it was doomed. Yellow eyes glazed with onrushing death strained to focus upon the Zoalord. _They. . . Are coming. Ouranos. Apollon. Harbinger of Destruction. bewa-. . . _The creature's life fled and its body went limp in Lord Bin Jamar's arms.

Dead Sea Plant

Lords Barcus, Bin Jamar and de Galenos stood in a secure room, examining the corpse of the strange visitor. The recovered vessel was in another room, soaking in a nutrient-rich fluid in hopes of saving it for study. Lord Archanfel was on his way along with Lord Mirabilis.

"Could it be an Ouranos?" Lord Barcus asked as he examined the broken body of the alien.

"I don't think so. It seemed to be trying to warn us about them." Bin Jamar scowled, "Judging from the damage to its ship, I'd say it was shot down."

"We have no idea what this creature is or who shot down its ship, _if_ it was shot down." Barcus replied tensely, "Say nothing of this to Czyvek. He already believes the Ouranos evil, he would seize upon this as 'proof'."

"Perhaps he is right." Bin Jamar replied.

"We cannot say that on the ambiguous words of a dying creature, probably deluded by pain. It may have been a criminal, or a traitor." Barcus reasoned.

"With all due respect, you did not look into its eyes, my lord."

"Eyes can be deceiving." Lord de Galenos observed. "But I cannot rightly judge this creature's motivations, especially now that it is dead."

"I think it would be best for us to keep this to ourselves for now. Only the three of us, Mirabilis and Lord Archanfel will know, until we can gather further information."

"Quetzalcoatl." Lord de Galenos said, "The Feathered Serpent god of Mayan mythology. This creature's resemblance to the deity cannot be a coincidence."

Later

"No, I do not believe this to be an Ouranos. None of those I saw resembled this creature." Archanfel looked over the corpse carefully. He could hear the ship in his mind, see it as it was struck down. No. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong here. "This is not what I wanted." He turned to Barcus, a look of surprise on his face, "This is not Ouranos. This is one of the beings with whom they are at war."

"You mean that we have contacted the _wrong_ faction!" Barcus was stunned at the revelation. How could they still be at war after millions of years?

"So it _was_ shot down." Lord Bin Jamar said softly, "We should inform The Council."

"Not immediately." Archanfel answered, "First I want to try to communicate more closely with its ship. Once I have more information I will decide whether or not to inform The Council."

"Yes, Lord Archanfel." Lord Ali Bin Jamar did not like keeping secrets from his fellow Zoalords, but Archanfel's word was absolute. His own opinion didn't matter. A thought occured to him, "Are any Zoalords aboard The Ark? If it should be attacked . . ."

"The Ark has a capable crew and self-defense mechanisms. But you are correct. Lord Mirabilis, please contact Lords Caerleon and Waferdanos, have them travel to The Ark to defend it. I shall be joining them shortly."

"At once, Lord Archanfel."

"Lord Archanfel, all of the Zoalords will have sensed the vessel's pain. They will want answers. How do we explain this?"

Archanfel considered Imakarum's question. He had a point. All had felt the vessel's telepathic signals, "We tell them that we will explain the situation when appropriate. They will accept that."

Mirabilis was not so sure.

The ship itself was just as Bin Jamar had described. It looked like nothing so much as a decorative Chinese lantern with ridges. About a quarter of the vessel had been destroyed, but it seemed to be healing quickly. Archanfel removed his clothing, levitated over the healing tank and lowered himself into the fluid. He pressed his hand against an undamaged section of hull and closed his eyes. The cat's eyes flickered open, and Mirabilis could have sworn he saw fear in the Supreme Zoalord's beautiful features.

"How long until the Guyver Unit is ours?"

"The Unit Remover Zoanoids are ready, my Lord." Mirabilis replied.

To be continued . . .


	23. Chapter 23

Zoalords

Chapter 23

Visitation

Cloud Gate, Sho's Quarters

In the relative privacy of Sho's quarters, he discussed recent events with his wife and brother-in-law. They were both horrified to learn of the tragic fate of Murakami Kenji, and Mizuki was deeply shaken, "Sho, do you really believe you can trust these people?" Sho took her hands, "We have no choice." Tetsuro was memorizing everything he could in case it was needed in the future. "Sho, I know that Czyvek has helped us before, but I also know that he killed Aptom. We're dealing with CHRONOS here." "Czyvek told me that several members of The Council are sympathetic to us, including Amniculus, who is the leader of The Council, under Archanfel and . . ." "Barcus? What did Czyvek say about him?" Sho shrugged, "Not much. Nguyen told me that Barcus can't understand 'mortal concerns' anymore. He also thinks he's a good man." Tetsuro laughed, but there was no humor in it, "That's how twisted CHRONOS is, the good people can't, or won't, see the evil in it."

There was a knock at the door. Ishi entered the room, a grave look on his face, "The Unit Remover Zoanoids. They've been fully processed. It's time."

Mizuki collapsed sobbing in Sho's arms.

Cloud Gate, Command Center

Lords Archanfel and Mirabilis had left rather abruptly after the strange telepathic signal that all of them had noted. Czyvek had heard it too, and it worried him. The Zoalords involved refused to speak of what they had found. Czyvek did not believe that it was the Ouranos, but he was convinced something alien was involved. He had no time to think about it. Not now. The Unit Remover Zoanoids were finally ready and activated. Soon, Fukamachi Sho would be free of the Guyver. He didn't know whether to feel joy or pity.

The Ark

None of the Zoanoids knew what to make of the strange cloaked creature walking the halls of the Ark. Was it a Zoalord? A new type of Zoanoid? It didn't look like either. It was tall, apparently male, and completely concealed by bizarre silver armor and a black cloak. Its head was reminiscent of a chrome starfish, set atop a humanoid body. Despite the confusion, no one moved against the creature. It entered the chamber that held Lord Yentsui's Zoacrystal, walked unchallenged past the guards, and picked it out of the energy beam in which it was suspended. _The first Zoacrystal has been retrieved._

Later,

"You mean this creature just walked in and took Lord Yentsui's Zoacrystal?" Edward Caerleon was stunned, how could any unauthorized creature gain access to The Ark, much less move unopposed amongst the Zoanoid guards? "We . . . It was like it was a Zoalord." The Danaplus explained, "We could not move against it."

"I will contact Lord Archanfel at once."

Cloud Gate, Testing Area 5

The massive Hyper-Zoanoid towered over Sho, despite appearances, it was quite capable of standing upright. Then Sho closed his eyes and waited. It was like standing in front of a firing squad. "Gone, what do you mean?" "Stolen! The Zoanoids could do nothing!" Sho opened his eyes to see Lords Czyvek, Archanfel, Mirabilis, (both of them) and Nguyen in the midst of an urgent discussion. "They said it was like a Zoalord. They could not move against him." The Unit Remover Zoanoid was trying to maintain his attention between Sho and the Zoalords. "What was stolen?" Tetsuro asked. "Lord Yentsui's Zoacrystal." Czyvek blurted out. Ishi's excited voice came over the speaker, "Lord Czyvek! WAIT! They've found _another_ Guyver!"

The entire room went silent, then exploded into chaos.

Sho watched the confused Zoalords, they seemed to have forgotten him. He looked at the baffled Hyper-Zoanoid, who seemed anxious to get it over with. Sho didn't blame him, the waiting was driving him crazy. Finally, Archanfel turned toward Sho and the Unit Remover Zoanoid. "Stand down. We may need young Fukamachi as he is."

The Hyper-Zoanoid cursed as Sho gaped in shock. _Did he just . . ._ ?

"Wait! We must find out if they work!" Dr. Shirai shouted, uncaring that he was speaking to the most powerful being on Earth.

"We will test them on Makishima." Archanfel replied, "The Unit was found in Egypt. We must leave at once." He had already taken the necessary information from Ishi's mind.

"B-but Fukamachi?"

_I have plans for him, Imakarum. He may be more useful to us as the Guyver. We will take the other Unit, then destroy Makishima._

_Of course, Lord Archanfel_.

The Zoalords began to leave. Mizuki embraced a stunned Sho as Czyvek turned toward them. "You may go now. I'm sorry that you had to endure this." He turned to the Hyper-Zoanoid, "Don't worry, you'll get your chance against Makishima." His voice was soothing, and the massive creature plodded away, murmuring under his breath. Czyvek turned to Sho, "Would you like to accompany me?" Sho, emotionally spent, spoke in a barely audible voice "No."

Tetsuro shook his head in amazement, "Are all Zoalords insane?"

"No," Doctor Nighthawk replied, "Kenji is sane, but he's only ten."

To be continued . . .


	24. Chapter 24

Zoalords

Chapter 24

Discovery

Dahshur, Egypt

" . . . May his peace be undisturbed." Professor Malik Hassan traced the inscription on the sealed tomb with a trembling finger. It was something else, something earlier that had bothered him. He had never heard of a Pharaoh named 'Nephren-Ka', and had had never before heard of anyone being described as 'The Fangs of Seth.' Seth, serpent god of evil and darkness . . .

It worried him.

Ever since CHRONOS' rise to power, the archeological community had been thrown into turmoil. Accepted history was revealed as false, everything they knew had been turned on its head. CHRONOS agents now investigated even the most minor excavations in the hopes of finding relics of the mysterious aliens known as Ouranos. A number of his laborers and likely some of his colleagues were Zoanoids

He broke the seal and the workers began clearing a way into the tomb.

One look at the murals in the Outer Chamber realized his fears to the worst possible extent. The murals were magnificently preserved and superbly detailed. They depicted the proud Pharaoh striding over the bodies of his enemies, nations kneeling at his feet. He was wearing armor unlike that of any known Pharaoh.

He was wearing the armor of a Guyver.

Later

"Please, be careful, my lord, this site is over 3000 years old." Professor Hassan followed lord Bin Jamar closely. Fortunately, the Zoalord was careful not to disturb anything. He stopped from time to time to stare at the paintings and hieroglyphics on the walls, but his real interest lay in the burial chamber.

Zoalord Ali Bin Jamar examined the inscription on the sarcophagus. Along with the usual threats to deter grave robbers was a curious inscription.

_May his soul never again trouble the land_.

As the workers moved the heavy slab away, Professor Hassan noted that something was wrong. The mummy was unremarkable, relatively speaking, in all but one way. The arms lay flat at his sides, not crossed on his chest. Instead, a large, almost mechanical looking pentagon of unknown metal had been placed upon the mummy's withered chest.

A Guyver Unit.

"Secure the room. Post guards at the entrance." Lord Bin Jamar ordered, he turned to the archeologist, "Please, limit your work to the outer chambers. Once Lord Archanfel has taken possession of the device, you will be free to examine this chamber."

Professor Hassan had no choice but to obey.

Lord de Galenos was the first to arrive, being geographically closest. He merely confirmed Lord bin Jamar's identification, then moved to guard the entrance. It was a small chamber, and he was a large man. Lords Barcus and Archanfel would need room to examine the Unit.

Professor Hassan recognized most of the Zoalords, though he had never seen the beautiful young man with Lord Mirabilis. Of them all, Lord Czyvek seemed more interested in the archeological significance of the tomb rather than the Guyver Unit.

Lord Czyvek could not help but notice that The Eye of Horus was depicted numerous times, in hieroglyphics, in jewelry and, bizarrely, directly above the Pharaoh's head in the murals. It appeared to be intended, not as a symbol of protection or Pharaonic power, but of _wrath_. Everything The Eye shone upon was destroyed. It represented both the god Horus and the goddess Wadjet. _Uraeus_, the Greeks called it. It was the symbol painted on ancient boats for protection and good luck. It could also be an evil eye. In the context of the murals The Eye appeared to be totally different from typical Egyptian art and theology. It looked so much like The Eye of Ouranos that Czyvek felt a chill rush up his spine. _The All-Seeing Eye. The All-Consuming Eye._ He looked away from the Eye.

"Wow. This is cool." Lord Ingriam Mirabilis words echoed throughout the burial chambers. There were statues of people, gods and animals, including a full-sized crocodile. He stopped and looked at the crocodile. It was made of a shiny metal, maybe gold. _This guy was really rich_.

"Sebek, God of the Nile." Lord Czyvek stood beside him, "Crocodiles were sacred animals to him. He often took the form of a crocodile." "That is an oversimplification." A man Ingriam didn't recognize approached them, "Sobek, or Sebek, controlled the Nile, protecting the people from flooding while allowing it to water their crops. He gave military power to the Pharaohs. He was also a Fertility deity, extremely sexual in nature. In fact, his name comes from a root word meaning 'to impregnate'." Czyvek quickly pulled the man aside, "Professor Hassan, correct?" He whispered, "Please, don't discuss sex in any graphic way around Lord Ingriam. He is . . . _Innocent_." The professor's eyes widened, and he nodded agreement. He had no idea why a Zoalord would be innocent of carnal knowledge, but he had no desire to anger one or more of the powerful men in the world. When he looked over another Zoalord, Lord Mirabilis, was directing the first toward the inner chamber.

"Professor, is it just me, or does it appear to you that the curses and barriers served both to keep robbers out and to keep the Pharaoh _within_?" Czyvek asked.

"Yes, it would appear so, Lord Czyvek. That is most odd. He was buried with all the royal finery and tradition of a Pharaoh, but great care seems to have been taken to ensure he _remain_ buried. It is possible that his subjects hated him, but feared his wrath even in death. Thus they prepared him for the Afterlife and tried to make sure that he did not return to this one." He turned to Lord Czyvek, "You have knowledge of Egyptology?"

"A passing hobby. That image," He pointed to a mural of Nephren-Ka and the gods Osiris, Maat and Anubis. It depicted the divine judgement of Nephren-Ka's spirit. Maat held a pair of scales in her hand. On one weight was a feather, on the other, the Pharaoh's heart. The scale was tipped toward the heart. "His heart is depicted as heavy with sin. Someone wanted him to experience eternal damnation."

"So it would seem." The Professor sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes, "This is such a groundbreaking discovery! All these years, all of this work and to have it taken over . . ."

"Don't worry, Professor, we will be careful. All we are really interested in the Guyver Unit. Once Lord Archanfel has that, I am sure that you will have your site back for a proper archeological excavation."

"I certainly hope so, my Lord."

"Professor, do you have any idea why the Eye of Horus is used on such an unusual manner in this tomb? I mean, do you have any theory on what its significance is?"

"We have not had time to do any real research, so I honestly cannot say. But you are right, the Eye seems somehow . . . _Malevolent_. I have never seen it depicted so."

"Professor, if you would be so kind I would like you to brief me on any discoveries involving the Eye motif in this tomb during your research. I believe it may represent the Ouranos themselves."

"Are you suggesting a connection between the Ouranos and The Eye of Horus?"

The Zoalord removed the _Eye of Ouranos_ from his jacket and handed it to the professor. "Take it. This is the only representation we have of the Ouranos. They -" Czyvek turned his head suddenly, "Lord Archanfel is here."

Lords Archanfel and Barcus arrived together. Everyone on site, Prof. Hassan included, knelt before the handsome being as he stepped into the tomb and made his way to the inner chamber.

"We must be extremely careful, Lord Archanfel. After what happened to Lisker . . ."

"The others have already examined it, Hamilcar."

"We should take it to The Ark first. Examine it there. Your safety is paramount. Everything else can wait."

"And if we are attacked before we reach The Ark? Examine it here." He sighed, "I know you have only my best interests at heart, and I appreciate your concern. But we cannot afford to hesitate too long. Even now Makishima may be on his way."

The room was crowded, even with only Zoalords permitted inside. Archanfel would have to take the Unit outside and activate it, or risk obliterating his Council. He carefully lifted the dusty device from its resting place upon the corpse. Everyone, Zoanoid, Zoalord and human, swiftly cleared a path for The Supreme Zoalord. He stepped into the light and walked several yards from the tomb as the others emerged two at a time. He stopped amid the dust and sand, looked down at the Guyver Unit in childlike wonder.

He activated it.

It was both awesome and awful as the creature's tendrils tore their way into Archanfel's frail body, transforming the child-like being into a resplendent, angelic warrior who shone like polished gold beneath the hot Egyptian sun.

Everyone dropped to their knees as Supreme Zoalord Archanfel, The Golden Angel of CHRONOS, became the first Zoalord Guyver.

To be continued . . .


	25. Chapter 25

Zoalords

Chapter 25

Modifications

"The situation has been altered. Archanfel now possesses a Guyver Unit. How should I proceed?"

"Proceed according the original plan, Apollon."

"The Unit Remover Zoanoids so foolishly produced by the Zoalord Czyvek can be used to aid us."

"They could also be used against us, if The Enemy gain control over them."

"If necessary, we will send you one of our Units."

"There is another complication. They made contact with The Enemy before it died." Apollon admitted.

"We know. Only Zoalord Ali Bin Jamar heard it speak."

"He suspects."

"I will deal with him." Apollon rose, "I will not fail you."

The Dead Sea Plant

Zoalord Ali Bin Jamar was lost in thought. So much had happened in so short a time. Archanfel had a Guyver Unit. Lord Yentsui's Zoacrystal had been stolen from The Ark. An alien spacecraft had crashed and an alien snake had died in his arms. Archanfel had the Unit Remover Zoanoids, yet he did not use them on Guyver I.

It made no sense.

"It makes perfect sense." The Zoalord turned swiftly to see a tall, black cloaked humanoid in silver armor. The being's head seemed to be star-shaped. The creature from The Ark. "Archanfel believes that Fukamachi may prove useful in the coming battle."

"Who are you?" Bin Jamar swiftly assumed his Zoaform, a graceful, slender being, tan colored with large sonic emitters on his shoulders, chest and palms.

"I am Apollon. I believe that you have heard of me."

"What do you want?"

"Your Zoacrystal. Don't worry, you're young, you'll surv-"

Bin Jamar blasted the being with a wave of pure sound, sending him flying and disintegrating half of his office. He telepathically called for help as the creature emerged from the dust. Its cape had disintegrated, revealing the now pitted, tarnished armor beneath. Its left arm was gone. "So you wish to fight?" It asked, "Very well." Bin Jamar blasted him again, but the sound rippled visibly in the air before the creature, then turned back upon its creator. Lord Bin Jamar was blown backwards through the wall and fell several stories before crashing into the reinforced floor of Zoanoid Testing Area 16.

"You should not have fought." Apollon chided, but Bin Jamar could not hear him for the blast had deafened him. He did see, to his shock, that the being's arm was almost completely regenerated. Apollon reached down and pulled the Zoacrystal from the prone Zoalord's forehead. Ali Bin Jamar retained consciousness long enough to see the creature holding his Zoacrystal in his armored hand.

Zoalord de Galenos arrived moments later. Apollon was gone.

The Ark

The Council was in a state of collective shock. Ali Bin Jamar was currently in a healing tank. He would survive with relatively minor injuries, but without his Zoacrystal, most of his power was gone. He was well liked and well-respected by the entire Council, and this attack was an open act of war.

Judging from the alien's warning, it appeared to Czyvek to be the work of an agent of The Ouranos. He had the decency not to point out that he had warned against this all along. Ali Bin Jamar was a friend, and he wanted vengeance as badly as anyone on the Council.

"From now on no Zoalord will act alone. We will work and travel in pairs. Those who cannot fight will travel with our strongest. And we will find this creature, ascertain its nature, and exact our revenge." Archanfel was furious. It seemed that for every step forward, they were forced back two. The success of X-Day was followed by the rebellion of three respected members of the Council, the murder of Friedrich and the death of Li in battle with Guyver III. Fukamachi's surrender was followed by the destruction of Star Tower, and the retrieval of a Guyver Unit from an Egyptian tomb was followed by this attack upon Ali Bin Jamar.

"Do you think it could have been a Guyver?" Lord Nguyen asked, "The armor certainly resembled that of a Guyver, judging from the memories of the Zoanoids and Lord Bin Jamar. And its regenerative abilities . . "

"We have no way to be certain, Lord Nguyen. But it would appear so." Archanfel turned to Czyvek, his cat's eyes glaring, "It would be most unwise of us to make assumptions about this being's affiliations. We know neither its source or its motivations."

"Every CHRONOS base has a heavy detail of Guyver-Killer Zoanoids, but if this creature can control them, they are useless." Lord Vorsted snarled in frustration.

"Why do you think I chose to allow Fukamachi to keep the Guyver Unit?" Archanfel said.

Cloud Gate

"What happens to us, now?"

Ishi sat behind Lord Czyvek's desk. He'd been appointed sector head, but found the timing unpleasant. "I don't know. But I think Lord Archanfel wants you both as a Guyver and someone independent from Zoalord control. This creature is able to control Zoanoids like a Zoalord, and defeat a Zoalord in combat."

"But since I'm not a Zoanoid or a Zoalord, I stand a better chance against him?"

"That's my theory."

Sho laughed bitterly. CHRONOS, after years of making his life a living Hell, after murdering his father, was now expecting him to jump to their defense.

"What makes him think I won't ally with this Apollon?"

"Because you are an honorable man."

"If Archanfel has a Guyver, why does he need me?"

Ishi shrugged, "He can't be everywhere at once."

Tetsuro smiled grimly, "So Sho's been drafted?"

"Yeah. You could say that." Ishi admitted, "And you're not the only one. Doctor Nighthawk and her team are working on a way to control the Guyver-Thing they grew from Agito's arm."

"So 'Agito's' been drafted too."

"You have to understand, this Apollon could take control of _me_ and make me fight you, Lord Czyvek, or anyone else he wanted. We need people he can't control."

While Sho had no love for CHRONOS, the thought of being forced to kill Ishi, their friend, was agonizing. Especially after he had been forced to kill his own father. There were more lives at stake than simply Archanfel and The Council. And who knew what this creature intended to do with the Zoacrystals?

Which was the lesser evil?

Once again, he had no choice.

Lord Czyvek had been assigned to protect Lord Nguyen. Nguyen's full powers, derived from Khan's Zoacrystal, were so terrible that he would rather die than use them. Cabraal Khan had possessed the ability to absorb living Zoanoids into his own mass, devouring them until he reached monstrous size and power. The gentle scientist would not resort to cannibalism in order to defend his own life. Besides, Lord Czyvek would kill him. Lord Czyvek, and possibly Guyver I, would have to protect him if things became too dangerous.

Elsewhere

Apollon knelt before his masters, "Instructions, my Lords?"

"All are dangerous. Czyvek is so paranoid that it may be necessary to deal with him next. "

"Is it paranoia when your fears are based in fact?"

"Do not mock us, Apollon!"

"Forgive me, my Lords." Apollon said smoothly, "There is yet another problem. The Enemy has been sighted in Mexico."

"We are aware."

"We will deal with them soon."

"But first we must have the Zoacrystals. Barcus has chosen foolishly, of his Zoalords, four were traitors. Amniculus and Nguyen are too soft-hearted, as was the dead Purgstall, for their purpose."

"Archanfel has chosen little better, a child and a madman. _We_ will choose more wisely."

To be continued . . .


	26. Chapter 26

Zoalords

Chapter 26

Defense

The Ark

"What do you think it is, dad?"

Lord Imakarum Mirabilis was nervous. If it was only him he would not be worried, but if that thing got its hands on Kenji. . .

"Dad?"

"I think it's going to be dead very soon, Kenji. You don't need to worry about it."

The thing had already been aboard The Ark once, and Ali Bin Jamar was a powerful man. Kenji, while by no means helpless, had no real battle experience and was still a child, despite his body.

_What the Hell is this Apollon, and what does he really want?_

Archanfel had decided that both Kenji and Lord Barcus remain in close proximity to him. As The Supreme Zoalord and a Guyver, he could better protect the two most vulnerable Zoalords. But, while this was greatly appreciated by Imakarum, it hampered his ability to go hunt down this thing. He simply could not leave Kenji at a time like this, even knowing that he was under such protection. If Apollon came back to The Ark, Imakarum Mirabilis would be waiting.

Cloud Gate

Mikhail Czyvek lifted a 14th century scimitar from its display case. He was a collector. Blades and insects. An odd combination, to be sure. His insect collection was far larger, and much less expensive, but he treasured his entomological wonders as much as his weapons. Czyvek admired the crescent blade, turning it to catch the light. This blade was among his favorites. It was as clean and sharp as the day it had been forged. He rarely had time to indulge his hobbies, especially since becoming a Zoalord. In a time of Guyvers and Zoanoids, blades were increasingly becoming outdated.

It was odd, that a man who, in his heart, despised violence, enjoyed collecting weapons of war.

He replaced the scimitar as Lord Nguyen entered the display room. "I know little of their value, but Khan had several blades in his possession. Including a _Khanda_ and a _Pata_."

The _Khanda_, a form of Indian broadsword, and the _Pata_, or 'gauntlet sword'. Czyvek had neither in his collection, though he considered both desirable pieces, especially a _Pata_. He hadn't had the time to acquire them.

"I imagine Khan had much of value." Czyvek remarked. "Without examining them I cannot put a price on them, if you are willing to sell."

"No, I have no need of them, or for money."

"You would make such a gift?"

"I shall send for them at once."

Czyvek smiled, "I would be most grateful. If they are _too_ valuable, though, I may simply have them returned to India. I don't want to plunder important artifacts that belong to the Indian people."

"I hadn't thought of that." Nguyen admitted, "If that is the case, I can find you such weapons for legal sale."

"Again, I am most grateful."

"There have been sighting reported in Mexico of 'Chinese lanterns' in the skies." Nguyen shook his head, "I assume the plumed serpents will follow shortly. What do you think of them?"

"I don't know what to make of them. As long as they are doing no harm, they are welcome, at least in my eyes. We should make as many friends as we can."

Nguyen chuckled, "I agree. But, I'm surprised that you would say that, with your distrust of The Ouranos."

"I'm not Xenophobic. If they come in peace, I will gladly admit I was wrong and accept them. But, judging by their treatment of Lord Archanfel, Waferdanos and Earth itself I find it difficult to believe that they would have our best interests at heart."

"Eons have passed, perhaps they have evolved. Become more caring."

"I pray that you are right." Czyvek replied.

"Tran, what do you suppose Lord Barcus saw in Khan, so that he would entrust him with such power?"

The question caught Lord Nguyen off guard, not the least because Czyvek referred to Barcus as 'Lord'. He rarely displayed such deference toward the old man. In fact, he was often openly disrespectful. "I did not know the man, I cannot say. People change. Perhaps he was a good man, once. _Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely_. And time can wear upon a man as well. We have all been changed by our transformations." He laughed at his own choice of words, "Changed by our transformations . . ."

"Guyot intended treason from the very beginning. And I never liked Hayyan. He always seemed . . . _Insincere_ to me."

"I wonder why Lord Barcus chose to give _me_ Khan's Zoacrystal. He knows that I would never in my right mind use it, become a cannibal thing as Khan would have, had you not slain him."

Czyvek smiled thinly, "I assume that was why he chose you to hold such power. Your understandable disgust toward the idea of absorbing other people to gain greater power ensures that you won't misuse it."

"Barcus is mistaken." Both Zoalords turned to see Apollon standing in the room, admiring Czyvek's prized 12th century Glaive, "You can absorb _any_ form of bio-mass, not simply Zoanoids. You creatures know so little of the _true_ power you carry."

Czyvek immediately assumed his Zoaform.

"I hope you do not intend to fight as well, not only would it be futile," Apollon gestured, indicating the artifacts around him, "It would also destroy this fine collection of yours."

To be continued . . .


	27. Chapter 27

Zoalords

Zoalords

Chapter 27

The Harbinger

"Are you Ouranos?" Czyvek searched the armored head for eyes.

Apollon cocked his star-shaped head, "Yes. _And_ no. I am The Harbinger of Destruction."

Czyvek clicked his mandibles in frustration, "Let me make it more clear. Are you an agent of The Ouranos?"

"Does it really matter? I represent The Federation. The Ouranos are part of The Federation." He chuckled, "You were right all along."

"You're a Guyver, aren't you?" Lord Nguyen spoke up.

"Yes. I am what you call a 'Guyver'. I am what your pet 'Agito' would be with a few million years of evolution and experimentation."

That stunned both Zoalords. This was a Guyver. No host. A sentient Guyver Unit in humanoid form.

"Now, will you surrender, or will you fight?"

Czyvek considered the situation. A battle with a creature capable of mimicking his power could destroy Cloud Gate, killing thousands. The thought of surrendering Lord Purgstall's Zoacrystal to this thing, however, turned his stomach. There was also Lord Nguyen's safety to consider, "Let us take this somewhere else. Just you and me."

"Such a noble gesture. However, I will not give up my advantage." He held out his hand, "I will not fight to your terms, Czyvek."

Czyvek hissed loudly, "Lord Nguyen. I suggest you get out of the way."

"Don't worry about me, Lord Czyvek. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"So do I," Everyone in the room turned to see Guyver I standing in the doorway, "So, you're Apollon."

"So, I finally meet Guyver I. I'm not impressed."

"You haven't seen me in action, _yet_."

"Yes, I have. I've been watching you for some time now."

Sho scowled beneath his armor. This being was a mimic, and it had been watching all of them. It could possibly take the form and powers of all the Zoalords and the Guyvers.

"You are a primitive, Fukamachi. A savage. A mere _beast_ compared to me."

"If I recall correctly, it was one 'mere savage' human who drove the Ouranos from Earth in the first place." Sho extended his vibroblades, "And I say we fight somewhere else."

Apollon nodded in agreement, "Alright. But by the end of this night I shall have two Zoacrystals and another Guyver Unit."

_Ishi, you are now in full command of Cloud Gate. If we do not return, I have faith that you will rule well._

_Lord Czyvek? What's wrong?_

_You have been like a son to me, Ishi. I know that you will do well. Tell Angela, I'm sorry._

To be continued . . .


	28. Chapter 28

Zoalords

Chapter 28

The Battle

_Czyvek is best in close combat. He prefers wild melee, using his mandibles, claws and acid spewing ability. His lightning attacks are good, but he lacks control, both of his powers and his emotions. He is a cunning Berserker, but I can outwit him. He has the power of a god but fights like an animal, biting and scratching. _

_Nguyen has great potential power, but it is wasted. Barcus was a fool for choosing him to wield the Biomass Zoacrystal. He cannot bring himself to use its powers. He is a scientist and has no battle experience._

_Fukamachi. Guyver I. He is a highly skilled warrior, tempered in the furnace of CHRONOS' unrelenting aggression. He is impressive, having gone from a timid schoolboy to one of the most powerful warriors on Earth, but he is no match for me. He is soft-hearted. But, why is he now helping CHRONOS? It was illogical to aid the very organization which had murdered his father, ruined his life. _

Apollon pondered these things as he and his three opponents headed out of Tokyo and toward an unpopulated area of mountain.

They followed Sho down into the forest and stood, three against one. Hardly a fair fight.

Of course, they would not all attack at once. _Honor_. Such predictable, amusing beings, humans.

"He is after us," Czyvek said, "And Ali Bin Jamar is a friend. I will fight first."

Czyvek assumed a classic fighting stance, but Apollon knew what his first attack would be. As the Zoalord spewed a stream of Guyver-dissolving acid the creature vanished. The acid burned deep into the surrounding trees, felling several smaller ones. Czyvek sensed Apollon behind him and turned, slashing into thin air.

_Czyvek has only a limited amount of acid available for this form of attack. But his blood is also highly acidic, so I must be cautious in the wounds I inflict._

Czyvek hissed angrily. He couldn't risk spitting in just any direction, he had two allies standing nearby. This creature was fast. A green blur passed his multifaceted eyes, slicing his antennae from his head. Zoalord Mikhail Czyvek screamed and fell to his knees as the image of Lord Li Yentsui flashed by.

"You can lose arms, legs without a whimper but scream when your antennae are cut?"

A triangular blade swung down to strike Czyvek's head from his shoulders, but was intercepted by a sonic sword.

Guyver I.

"It's my turn, now."

"N-No. I must finish this fight." Czyvek stood unsteadily. While his eyes were extraordinarily sharp, his antennae were his primary senses. Scent, taste, vibration, temperature. They were tied into his nervous system, regulating balance, coordination. He glared with gleaming red eyes at Apollon. "Thank you, Sho." Acid drizzled down his face, over his eyes. Fortunately, he was immune to its effects, "You insult the memory of Li Yentsui!"

"And you are but a pathetic mockery of Friedrich von Purgstall."

Czyvek screamed in rage and hatred, exactly what Apollon expected. But he did not expect what happened next. Czyvek did not attack in a blind frenzy, but straightened, taking on an almost regal demeanor, "You _will_ pay for that." His voice was calm, cold, almost sinister.

_Typhon._

An electrical storm blasted into existence in the blink of eye, catching Apollon off guard. A swirling vortex of blinding lighting appeared around the alien. His armor smoked and bubbled as he vanished into extra-dimensional space. The storm continued, with Czyvek as it's epicenter, forcing Sho and Tran back, vaporizing several meters of trees and stone. Suddenly the storm abated, and Czyvek fell to the ground.

Apollon reappered seconds later, still smoking and no longer in Yentsui's form. Vines erupted from the ground and bored through Apollon like drills. Zoalord Tran Nguyen sat on the forest floor, his head massively expanding, long tendrils trailing from his expanding brain into the ground. He twisted the vines within Apollon, reaching for his brain as trees and roots became giant hands that clutched the alien and tried to rip him in two. A sonic blast destroyed the arboreal attack and Tran screamed as his part of his extended form was destroyed. Tran collapsed in shock.

Sho stepped forward before Apollon could take the fallen Zoalords' crystals, "I believe it's my turn, Apollon."

"Not today, Sho. Perhaps another time." Apollon opened a dimensional portal, but before he could cross Czyvek slashed him across the ankles, nearly severing his feet.

Apollon screamed and fell through the portal as the reason for his sudden departure became evident.

Lords Amniculus, Caerleon, de Galenos, Vorsted and Waferdanos arrived on the scene as Czyvek once again struggled shakily to his feet.

To be continued. . .


	29. Chapter 29

Zoalords

Chapter 29

Information

Cloud Gate

"I'm sorry, but Lord Czyvek has been injured and is unable to speak to anyone."

Professor Hassan was troubled by that, considering the recent battle at The Dead Sea. Lord Czyvek was an intelligent and likeable man, despite his reputation. "I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Uh-Ishi?" He was unsure what to call the strange-looking young man he was speaking to over the world-net.

"Thank you. And it's just Ishi."

"Is he badly injured?"

"No, he should recover quickly."

"I am glad to hear it. Give him my regards, when you are able." Professor Hassan shook his head, "Lord Czyvek was most interested in this information. When he is able, tell him that my team and I have translated a great deal of text in regard to The Eye motif in Nephren-Ka's tomb. Is it acceptable to send you the information to give to him when he recovers?"

"Of course. Just send it directly here."

"I am sorry to hear about Lord Czyvek."

"Thank you, Professor."

Lord Mikhail Czyvek was resting in a healing tank, his antennae regenerating. Lord Nguyen had suffered only mild shock and was already recovered, though shaken. He had resumed his normal form by shunting off the extra mass, something that sounded rather painful in Tetsuro's opinion. Because of the threat of Guyot, and for emotional reasons, Mizuki and Tetsuro had joined Sho at Cloud Gate. Of course, with Czyvek incapacitated, things had changed. Lord Caerleon had been assigned to protect his fellow Zoalords until Czyvek could resume his duties. Czyvek had claimed Caerleon as a friend, but was he friend to Sho?

Sho looked Zoalord Edward Caerleon over. He looked like the stereotypical Knight in Shining Armor. Incredibly handsome with a dignified bearing, flowing blue armor and long blonde hair. "Fukamachi Sho." He extended his hand and shook Sho's, "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am afraid that we will have little time together, however. My duties will take up most of my time."

"I understand." Sho offered, "Caerleon. Is that Italian?"

"Welsh, actually." He paused, "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why, exactly, are you fighting beside CHRONOS? You have every reason to hate us."

Sho shrugged, "CHRONOS is an organization of individuals, for every Khan there is a Purgstall. I know that there is some good in CHRONOS. I know nothing of Apollon and his masters."

"The Devil you know, eh?"

"Exactly."

Elsewhere

"You have failed us, Apollon."

"I was not defeated. I was delayed and unable to conclude -"

"You were _defeated_!"

"You allowed yourself to be distracted."

"Do not do it again."

Later

"Apollon overreaches himself."

"He grows disrespectful of us."

"Could he rebel?"

"He has served us well. He made an error. Nothing more."

"Are you so certain?"

"I feel he is loyal."

"Time will judge."

The Ark

_Apollon has made his first mistake. He underestimated Lord Nguyen's powers._ Barcus stroked his long beard.

_Do not be so hasty, my friend._Do not be so hasty my friend, Lord Archanfel replied,_It is still too early to tell. Apollon is not Aptom, and Nguyen is not yet as powerful as Khan._

Tokyo

Apollon felt an odd tingling sensation within his body, slight, involuntary muscular movements. Nguyen had pierced his armor with his own flesh. Was is it possible? _Gastal_ . . . No, he was too powerful to be infected by a parasitic creature.

"Apollon."

He turned swiftly to see a tall, blonde man with a scarred face. In the center of his forehead was a tell-tale, gem-shaped scar.

"Richard Guyot." The fallen Zoalord possessed no Zoacrystal and was of little interest to Apollon or his masters, "So you have slithered out from under the stones, I see."

Guyot ignored the insult, "_The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend._ I can be of aid to you, as can Makishima."

"You seek power and vengeance. I seek to please my masters."

"What do your masters seek?"

"You are the first to ask me that question. This world is a weapons factory, The Ouranos created Archanfel to create twelve Zoalords and lead an army of Zoanoids into battle on their behalf. We seek the weapons, the Zoanoids, but the twelve chosen Zoalords, with the exception of Waferdanos and de Galenos, are all unsuitable."

"And your masters seek to create their own Council of Twelve."

"Precisely. War is not coming, Guyot. It is _here_. And we intend to emerge victorious."

To be continued . . .

Notes:

Technically it would be Mr. Daigoro, or Daigoro-Sama. Ishimaru is his surname, Daigoro is his family name.


	30. Chapter 30

Zoalords

Chapter 30

Quetzalcoatl

Piramide de el Bosque, Brazil

Lord Waferdanos watched in fascination as the seven glowing orange orbs hovered about the CHRONOS South American headquarters, lights glimmering off the white stone of the Mayan-style pyramidal structure. Lord Vorsted was unsure whether or not they should strike first. The orbs landed at the base of the pyramid, five in all. The one directly opposite the watching Zoalords opened to reveal a sliver of golden light. A long, sinuous figure emerged from the vessel, its shimmering, brilliantly colored wings fairly glowing in the light.

A three meter long feathered serpent slowly approached the Zoalords, coming to rest coiled before them. _Greetings_. Its telepathic voice was calm and soothing, _You and your world are in grave danger. The Harbinger of Destruction has come. Soon the war will follow_.

"Is that a _threat_?" Vorsted asked.

_No, it is a fact. We are not threatening. We are warning. Apollon will take this world for his masters and transform its populace into an army to fight their war for them._

"To fight against you?" Waferdanos pointed out, "You are hardly in a neutral position. Why should we trust you?"

_Because we are telling the truth._

"How do we know Apollon is not your servant?"

_You do not._

Cloud Gate, Japan

Sho, Mizuki and Tetsuro stood watching the strange lights floating serenely in the azure sky. "Those aren't Ouranos ships. Not like the ones we know, anyway." Tetsuro said breathlessly.

Lords Caerleon and Nguyen were at a loss for what to do, they could not contact The Ark due to interference from the vessels. Ishi had all Aerial Zoanoids scrambled and ready in case the creatures should prove hostile, but so far they seemed content to hover and wait.

But what were they waiting for?

Relic's Point, Japan

The Zoanoids watched in amazement as a massive, feathered serpent made its way into the facility. Lord Czyvek had ordered that it be allowed entry, so no one dared oppose it. The beautiful creature made its way deeper into the facility, toward the healing tanks and Lord Czyvek himself.

Dr. Angela Nighthawk was shocked at the size and shape and the beauty of the thing. It radiated a sense of regal magnificence and power.

No wonder the Mayans had taken them for gods.

Her ancestors had spoke of various snakes, they were the 'Lightning People', they spoke with the spirits and brought bad luck to those who crossed them, or even those who laughed at them. They were both taboo and sacred. While she did not follow The Old Ways, she had heard the stories many times as a child.

The _Lightening_ People.

The creature came to rest before the tank, staring curiously at the Zoalord of Lightning and Storms.

Mikhail Czyvek was still in his Zoaform, his antennae already half-restored by healing liquids.

_Who are you?_ Czyvek asked in wonder.

_We are the Quetzalcoatli._ The voice was calm and warm.

_I am Mikhail Czyvek_.

_Yes, we know. We came to warn you. You have made a grave error. Your leader has brought your world to the attention of The Federation, as you have already experienced. You know of their intent. But you have created for them a weapon, the Unit Remover Zoanoid. They will take control of them and use them to their own ends._

Czyvek clicked his mandibles together in a sort of laughter.

_It amuses you?_

_If they try to take control of my brothers here, they will be surprised._

The Pillars of Heaven, Washington, D.C. America

The city was in chaos, Lord Amniculus had sent out statements urging people to remain calm and in their homes. Zoanoids had been sent out to prevent rioting, but he sensed that many of them were afraid and confused themselves. Lord de Galenos frowned, "I fear that this is a bad omen, Shin. Where there is one army, there will likely soon be another."

The Ark

It was almost twice the size of The Ark, sleek and streamlined with obvious energy weapons dotting its surface. It was apparently made of the same living materials as The Ark. The massive vessel took up an orbital position facing CHRONOS' starship.

Archanfel smiled as the others stared in shock.

"Is it them, dad? Is it The Ouranos?" Kenji asked excitedly.

Imakarum took Kenji's hand in his own.

Guyot's Base.

It looked like an invasion. Chinese lanterns hung in the sky, some clearly landing. The people were in shock. Some were panicking, some were rejoicing, most were just standing in shocked silence. Makishima Agito was preparing himself for battle. If war had come to Earth, he would fight to protect it. He would not serve under aliens.

He would not serve under _anyone_.

Elsewhere

Apollon was not happy. He had only claimed two Zoacrystals, and now both The Federation and The Enemy had arrived.

"It is too early to begin The Plan."

"We have no choice, the Quetzalcoatli have already landed and made contact."

"We must move to counter them."

"Archanfel will not move his Zoalords against us."

"He cannot."

"But they may move on their own!" Apollon tried to reason with his masters, "Between Czyvek's suspicions and the serpent's tongues, they could be convinced to attack your vessels. I must clear the path -"

"You must do as you are commanded, Apollon! Do not question us. The time is now. It has begun."

"Go about your work, Apollon, and leave us to ours."

Cloud Gate

Sho, Mizuki, Tetsuro and Ishi watched the emerging Quetzalcoatli in awe. Nothing CHRONOS had created approached these creatures in sheer beauty.

"Quetzalcoatl was a benevolent deity by Aztec and Mayan standards. He actually opposed human sacrifice, while others demanded it." Tetsuro observed, breaking the silence, "If the myths are close to truth, these creatures are very likely to be the 'good guys'."

"Then that would make The Ouranos the enemy . . ."

"Not necessarily. But considering their history, I wouldn't trust them."

Silha

Fenris watched in awe from the concealing forest as the vessel came to rest beside the temple of Archanfel. He knew the ship, he had seen it in his dreams. All on Silha knew what it was.

The Creators had returned.

To be continued . . .


	31. Chapter 31

Zoalords

Chapter 31

Advent

The Ark

A massive Eye appeared before the four Zoalords. It was longer than a man and looked down upon them. Barcus could not tell if it was a psionic projection or an actual being. It was _The Eye of Ouranos_. The depiction had been realistic, after all.

_We have returned, Archanfel._

_I knew that you would return! I have long awaited this day!_ Archanfel was overcome with joy. _I have created a great army for you! I have created twelve Zoalords to lead them, just as you commanded!_

_So you have._

There was a note in the creature's voice that disturbed Archanfel.

_Your Zoalords are unsuitable to our purpose._

_What?_

_You and your agent have chosen poorly. Madmen, weaklings and a child._

_No. Please. They will serve you well!_

_We had forgotten the existence of this world. _

_Until you called us._

_Your agents have done well in creating Zoanoid weapons._

_But the rest of the experiment remains a failure._

"NO!" Archanfel screamed aloud, "I have spent eons awaiting you! I am loyal!" Tears formed in his eyes, "Why did you create me? What did I do wrong so long ago."

_You were created to lead our armies into battle. Because of the Guyver, our experiment failed. Pathetic creature. You assume an emotional relationship where none is possible. You desire love and acceptance, qualities alien to us. You are, simply put, a failed experiment.  
_

"The failure was yours!" Imakarum shouted angrily, "You put the Guyver on that human! _You_ were the ones who failed!"

_We will create a new 'Council'. We will choose new Zoalords. Better Zoalords. And this world will supply us with soldiers for centuries to come. _The creature utterly ignored Imakarum's protest. _That is why we sent Apollon._

A look of utter horror crossed Archanfel's face.

_You are a failure, Archanfel._

"I did it all for you. . ." The Supreme Zoalord collapsed and curled into the fetal position, then he began to weep. Barcus was almost overcome himself, tears streamed down his face. All that Archanfel had strove to create, to achieve was unraveling before his eyes. He was like a child, abandoned and betrayed by his parents. Barcus felt both pity and rage watching the man he had worshiped reduced to a lost, crying child. Imakarum Mirabilis clenched his fists in futile rage. Archanfel's emotional pain washed over every Zoalord and Zoanoid within range of his telepathic ability. The pain, the loneliness, the loss rivaled Imakarum's memory of the terrible day when he had found his son's tent torn to pieces in the forest, his child gone . . .

Kenji spit at the great, unblinking, uncaring Eye. "You'll pay for hurting Archanfel!"

_At your hands, child? I doubt it._

The Eye vanished.

Cloud Gate

Ishi took down the protective screen around the window to let the feathered serpent in. He wondered if a creature with such a large wingspan could fit. There was not a chance to find out. A bolt shot down, striking the creature down as more bolts of energy rained down upon the floating vessels, which returned fire, sending crimson beams at an unseen attacker in the sky.

Sho saw it first. He had seen, and operated, such a vessel before, at Relic's Point. The Ouranos vessel rained down fire upon the serpents' ships, before disappearing in a tremendous blast. The blast of a Guyver's Mega-Smashers.

_Agito_.

Lords Caerleon and Nguyen were horrified. The Ouranos had finally came, and Guyver III had blasted them into oblivion! Lord Caerleon ordered all Guyver-Killers to attack the Dark Guyver. Lord Caerleon rushed outside to supervise the defense personally.

Makishima Agito didn't know if the orange vessels were peaceful or invaders, and, frankly, at the moment he didn't care. CHRONOS had worked for centuries to bring The Ouranos back to Earth, and that was reason enough to attack them. If the others were fighting them, he wouldn't stand in their way.

Sho, however, didn't know what to do. He had no idea who to side with. He didn't know who 'the bad guys' were. They might all be bad guys.

Relic's Point

The serpent turned in surprise, it's yellow-green eyes narrowing to slits.

_It has begun. We are under attack!_

_Something is wrong. I sense great grief._

_Archanfel has met his gods, and they have rejected him._

Czyvek burst from the healing tube, sending glass and liquids flying everywhere. His mandibles were clicking angrily, and a fire burned behind his eyes.

"Where are they?"

The Ark

Kenji tried to comfort Archanfel as his father and Barcus raced to ready the ship's weapons. The Ouranos had the advantage of size, but they were not without defenses. "Kenji, take Archanfel to The Pod and to Silha. Go with him, Hamilcar. Archanfel needs you."

"I want to stay here, dad! I want to make them pay for-"

"This is not up for discussion! _Go_!"

Kenji had not heard his father address him in such a manner in years, not since before. . .

"Yes. Dad." Kenji cradled Archanfel in his arms, "Make them pay."

"I will, Kenji. Take care of Archanfel for me."

The Mothership

A wave of psionic pain pulsed through the beings' bodies.

"Our brothers have been slain!"

"Enact The Plan. Take control of the Zoanoids."

The Pillars of Heaven

A technician suddenly transformed into a Vamore and sent a blast of super-heated plasma at the two Zoalords. To Amniculus' horror, he realized he could no longer feel the minds of the Zoanoids. The entire staff of the Command Center transformed and attacked, forcing the Zoalords outside, where Aerial Zoanoids swarmed them.

Cloud Gate

Every Zoanoid in Japan felt a faint buzzing in their heads. Most of them shook it off. Ishi was surprised to hear Lord Czyvek's voice shouting out toward everyone in Japan. _Archanfel has been betrayed!_

The warning was unnecessary, as Archanfel entered Earth's atmosphere all of them could feel his despair.

"Sho." Sho turned to see Ishi standing behind him, "Sho, Lord Czyvek was right. The Ouranos have rejected Lord Archanfel. They are attacking Earth even now. They intend to enslave us all."

Outside

Agito was confused. Not only had Edward Caerleon pulled out, The Unit Remover Zoanoids, _all_ the Zoanoids, began to disperse, as if he was no longer of any importance.

A flaming Ouranos vessel fell from the sky to crash somewhere in the direction of Ebisu.

_What the Hell?_

The Mothership

"We are unable to control the Zoanoids in Japan."

"Czyvek! So, he betrayed CHRONOS. He made his Zoanoids immune to mental control. Very clever of him. I wonder how he concealed this from his fellow Zoalords . . ."

"Japan is small. It matters not. Our Zoanoids will overwhelm his."

"The Zoalords are turning upon our ships!"

"Recall our brothers!"

"It is too late. The Enemy is engaging us. We cannot retreat without ceding our weapons to them!"

Piramide de el Bosque , Brazil

Waferdanos and Vorsted turned their powers upon the descending Ouranos ships. Feeling Archanfel's pain and their sudden loss of control over their Zoanoids had told them more than anything the Quetzalcoatli could say about who the enemy was. Even their vast Zoalord powers were a poor match for the Ouranos vessels, but the serpents ships were lending firepower as well. An Ouranos ship burst into flames and plummeted into the jungle.

The Pillars of Heaven, Washington D.C.

Lord Amniculus was furious, for the fact that he was being forced to slaughter his own Zoanoids and even more so for the pain he now sensed from Lord Archanfel. After destroying their entire contingent of Aerial Zoanoids, Amniculus and de Galenos turned their faces, and attacks, toward the heavens.

Silha

The inhabitants of Silha watched as several small, circular objects emerged from The Creator's ship and entered the temple. One turned toward them, revealing a massive, unblinking Eye, before following its comrades inside.

Moments later a Pod landed beside The Creator's ship.

To be continued . . .


	32. Chapter 32

Zoalords

Chapter 32

Acts of War

Japan

Apollon doubled over in pain. It was growing within him. Tran. Tran had infiltrated his body with part of his flesh and was now seeking to control him. But he was a Guyver, immune to Zoalord mental control. That did not stop Tran's genetic material from parisitising his body . . . His masters were being slain. They had not heeded his warnings, and now they were paying the price. He was supposed to defend them, but he needed to stop Tran from taking over his body. . .

Silha

_They are here!_ Barcus was shocked. He should have realized that The Ouranos would select Silha as a base. As Kenji carried the broken Archanfel from The Pod, he glared angrily at the ship. He had to get Archanfel into the temple, but the bad guys were in the temple. How could he beat the bad guys without destroying the temple?

_Kenji, they have probably taken control of all the creatures here. We may have to fight them._

_I won't kill my friends._

_You may not have a choice._

Cloud Gate, Japan

Ishi's voice was grave, "The Zoalords are losing control all over the world. Only Japan's Zoanoids are still under CHRONOS' control."

"But, over half the population of Earth has been transformed into Zoanoids!" Tetsuro was horrified, "My God, what have they done?" He muttered to himself, then walked to the window, staring blankly into the distance.

"Ishi, why don't they control the Zoanoids here?" Mizuki asked.

"Because Czyvek double-crossed The Council. He had us all re-processed to be immune to mind control." Ishi frowned, "He was afraid that this would happen. So he had Doctor Nighthawk find a way to protect us."

"If they control the world, it won't matter. They'll just overrun Japan."

"He did all that he could. A few loyal Zoanoids are better than none."

Cloud Gate Command Center

Lord Tran Nguyen struggled to establish a mental hold upon Apollon. He could feel tendrils of his being spreading throughout the alien's body, but control was hindered by the Guyver's protection from psychic forces. Apollon was being infested, but not controlled.

The Skies Over Tokyo

Flashes of light streaked across the sky as the Zoalords, Quetzalcoatli, Guyver I and Enzyme V's battled the Ouranos ships. The Ouranos appeared to have been unprepared for such a response. Two ships had already been destroyed and the other two were being overwhelmed. Guyver I slashed a wide opening in the side of one of the ships and slipped in through the rapidly-closing wound.

Sho was immediately confronted by the image of a giant Eye.

_Your world will die for this!_ The Eye threatened, _You and all you love will die in agony!_

Sho, in his 'primitive' Guyver armor, couldn't hear the threats as he made his way into the control room, to face The Ouranos themselves.

They were small spheres, about the size of a baseball, smooth and shiny with no features save one unblinking eye. They panicked at his approach and fled the vessel, leaving Sho. Sho linked his mind with that of the ship and saw the great Mothership that hovered in the sky above them. He headed toward it.

A tremendous, bodiless Eye appeared in the skies. Czyvek immediately sent his most powerful lightning attacks into The Eye, only to realize that it was a projection.

_You will suffer for daring to attack us! _

_We will not tolerate rebellion! _

_You think you have won a victory by making your Zoanoids outside of our mental control. _

_But you have doomed them! _

_You fear us, Mikhail Czyvek!_

_You fear our eyes!_

_We look upon you Mikhail Czyvek, We are always watching!_

Czyvek clicked his mandibles in contempt at the Eye and the voices.

"Go to Hell." Was his only reply. His voice was cold and confident, the voice of Typhon.

A Quetzalcoatli soared into the fray.

_The Ouranos wear Guyver Units in battle! You should ready the Unit Remover Zoanoids!_

_But the flying models aren't ready! _Czyvek/Typhon protested.

_They can take The Ouranos when they flee their vessels. Without their armor they are utterly helpless._

_What do they look like?_

The winged serpent placed a mental image in Czyvek's mind, an image he quickly passed on to the ground troops.

_I want at least one alive for study. But make them pay for what they have done to Lord Archanfel. Show no mercy once you have a specimen._

Lord Caerleon was only faintly surprised by Czyvek's brutal, unauthorized orders. Typhon was not a merciful being, and he was clearly in control now. Typhon was a fearsome ally, and an utterly terrifying Caerleon almost felt pity for The Ouranos.

Almost.

Edward turned to see Guyver III heading toward them. He had no idea if Makishima had come to help them or destroy them until a beam emerged from the Guyver's forehead and struck the remaining Ouranos vessel. The Creators fled, pursued by an army of their own design.

Silha

"Someone needs to stay with Archanfel. We cannot simply leave him out here." Barcus looked at the pitiful creature in Kenji's arms.

"Put me down, Kenji."

Archanfel stood tall and wiped the tears from his eyes. There was unspeakable sadness in his cat's eyes, and an equally unspeakable rage.

Archanfel stepped back and activated the Guyver Unit.

"We go in _together_."

The Ark

Imakarum Mirabilis sent out specially designed 'Astronaut' Zoanoids that could operate within the cold vacuum of space to distract the Mothership as The Ark gathered energy to attack. With only one Zoalord aboard it was operating at 1/13th of its capability, and it had already been shaken by one blast. Worse, many of the Zoanoids had fallen under the control of the aliens. Only a handful remained loyal, all from Japan. Mirabilis did not have time to consider the repercussions of Czyvek's obvious, if fortuitous, betrayal. The loyal Zoanoids were trying valiantly to hold off the controlled ones, but it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.

Ali Bin Jamar was angry and frustrated by a feeling of helplessness. Angry over the betrayal of Archanfel, angry over the fact that he was being forced to slay CHRONOS' own soldiers, (those assigned to The Ark were the best of the best), and frustrated that he did not have his full power. But He was still something more than a man or a Hyper-Zoanoid, he still possessed great sonic powers. He made his way to the Control Room and was surprised to find Zoanoids defending it from their rebellious brethren. They allowed him entry.

"Lord Mirabilis."

"Lord Bin Jamar!"

"Not 'Lord' anymore, thanks to Apollon." He smiled, "But I still possess power that may be of use to CHRONOS."

"That's good, we're going to need all the help we can get."

A burst of energy flashed from The Ark to strike the Mothership.

Cloud Gate, Command Center

Zoalord Tran Nguyen sat on the floor, deep in meditation. Mizuki, Tetsuro and Ishi stood at the window, watching the battle helplessly. They had seen Sho enter The Ouranos vessel, but Mizuki was strangely calm. "He'll be alright." She said softly, "He's strong . . ." A noise caused all three to turn and see Apollon staggering toward Lord Nguyen, whose face betrayed extreme mental strain. They were in a battle of minds as well as flesh. An incredibly loud blast sounded throughout the room, and Apollon convulsed as Ishi emptied his Zoanoid Buster into the alien, two shots hit the sphere in the center of his star-shaped head. The sphere shattered, and Apollon screamed in agony as both his Guyver Unit and Tran's tendrils fought to consume him. He opened a dimensional gate and fled, shrieking.

Tran fell unconscious to the floor.

Ishi looked in amazement at the weapon he held. "I didn't expect that to happen. . ."

The Mothership

"We are losing this battle."

"No, we still hold the upper hand. They cannot defeat the Mothership."

"Are you certain?"

A vessel returning from Earth merged with the larger Mothership.

"Did one recall this vessel?"

"No. It has been commandeered!"

"Recall Apollon!"

"We cannot reach him!"

Guyver I floated into the organic liquid that filled the interior of the vessel.

To be continued . . .


	33. Chapter 33

Zoalords

Chapter 33

War is Hell

Relic's Point

The three Ouranos were surprised to meet no real resistance as they glided gracefully into Relic's Point, turning their large eyes toward the various sleeping Zoanoids. They ranged from the impressive Enzyme V to the almost helpless Citiciss. Mikhail Czyvek had many flaws, but he was certainly open to new ideas in Zoanoid creation. As they entered the central processing center, they saw a young man in a standard blue and white CHRONOS uniform standing in the center of the room.

They recognized him, but it made no sense.

_Makishima Agito? _

_Here?_

By the time they had realized their mistake the hidden Unit Remover Zoanoids had stripped away their protective armor, leaving tiny, naked eyes. 'Agito' warped and twisted, his uniform shredding as he assumed the hulking form of a primitive, feral, blood-thirsty Guyver creature.

He was upon them before they had time to register surprise.

The Mothership

"We are suffering unacceptable losses! We must end this experiment, permanently!"

"No while we are in orbit! And we cannot abandon our companions. . ."

"We must begin orbital bombardment!"

"Too late!"

"The intruder has entered the Control Chamber!"

Eyeballs. Floating eyeballs. These were The Ouranos, The Creators. Sho was surprised that beings of such power should be so tiny. But he wasn't taking any chances.

"Leave Earth or die." He said in his best 'macho' voice.

"You forget, Guyver. We created the Unit Removers."

"We created the Guyver itself."

"We created _you_."

"And we will destroy you."

Sho didn't waste any more time on words, he activated his sonic swords and slashed the eyes into pieces.

The Mothership shuddered as its controllers died.

The Zoalords suddenly regained control of their troops.

The Ark

_I have destroyed them_.

_Fukamachi_? Imakarum Mirabilis could not believe what he was hearing. But the Zoanoids were once again under control. _Where are you?_

_The Mothership. I have taken command of the vessel and I am recalling all ships. Then I'm gonna' send this thing back where it came from.  
_Sho's voice turned hard, _I'm going to send a warning, too. If they ever come back, we'll come after them._

Silha

The Ouranos vessel suddenly lifted off, without its crew. As the creatures came out of the temple, Archanfel ruthlessly cut them down using powers as both a Zoalord and a Guyver. Kenji began to use his power over gravity to crush the evil eye things as well. They had to be punished for hurting Archanfel. Barcus kept his own eyes out for Silha's natives, they may have fallen beneath The Ouranos' control.

The Pillars of Heaven

The chaos ended as suddenly as it had started, the Zoanoids were once again under control and The Ouranos seemed to be in full retreat. The Zoalords were not ready to allow them to escape so easily, and continued to pour out vengeful attacks on the retreating ships.

Piramide de el Bosque, Brazil

Waferdanos watched with both relief and despair as The Ouranos withdrew. He had fought The Creators. The ones who had given him life. The ones who had tried to take it away. Whatever happened now, he was certain that The Ouranos would not return. Not in person, anyway.

Cloud Gate, Japan

"Sho. . . He's up there . . ." Tetsuro didn't know what to think. Had the Zoalords attacked The Ouranos Mothership? Had the creatures slain Sho?

Mizuki couldn't believe what had happened. Her husband was aboard an invading alien spacecraft. Would he be able to return?

Silha

As the last Ouranos was cut down, Archanfel fell to his knees, shedding his Guyver Armor. He stared at the grass beneath him. A mistake. A failure. Everything he had worked for. All of his hopes and dreams, crushed.

What purpose was there, now?

He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and looked up into the concerned face of Ingriam Mirabilis.

_Kenji_

He knelt beside the Supreme Zoalord and looked at him with sad blue-green eyes, "I know it hurts. But _we_ love you. Me, dad, Barcus, all of us. We love you. _We're_ your family, not them." Archanfel placed his head on Kenji's shoulder and began to cry. It was true. Archanfel knew that they truly loved him. Here was the acceptance he so desperately craved. All of CHRONOS had come together to fight The Ouranos out of their love for him, even Nguyen had fought for him. Czyvek and Bin Jamar, wounded themselves, had taken action to protect him. He had, probably, the largest family on Earth. "I know, Kenji." he took Kenji's face in his hands, "I love you, too."

Fenris, Pan and others emerged from the forest and gathered around Archanfel to offer comfort for their beloved master.

Cloud Gate

They almost attacked him on the way down, thinking him another Ouranos. But a quick quick telepathic heads-up from Mirabilis told them the truth. Fukamachi Sho had returned, victorious. Lord Czyvek guided him to The Pod landing area. Within minutes he was within The Control Center of Cloud Gate, once again among those he loved.

Fukamachi Sho held his wife tightly in his arms, truly happy for the first time in years.

To be continued . . .


	34. Chapter 34

Zoalords 34

The Aftermath

A Year Later

The Ouranos' Guyver Units had fallen into CHRONOS' hands, but Czyvek and Vorsted were doubtful that they had gotten _all_ of them. There had been much debate about what should be done with the captured Units, but in the end some had been kept for study while selected members of The Council had been bonded with them, namely Waferdanos, Amniculus, Caerleon, de Galenos, Barcus and Lord Imakarum Mirabilis. The last had been the main source of contention, for who knew if his Murakami Masaki personality might gain control and seek vengeance upon CHRONOS. The Unit Remover Zoanoids were found to be effective, but flawed. Each could only use his power once, after which he became a Bio-Blaster type Zoanoid. Dr. Nighthawk had purposely done this so that they would not be summarily destroyed once Archanfel and The Council had gained control of a Guyver. It seemed that The Japan Branch had kept many secrets from The Council, not the least of which being that their Zoanoids had been bred to be immune to Ouranos, or Zoalord, control. While this deception had surely aided them against The Creators, it was still a dangerous move on Lord Czyvek's part. He himself had long railed against Barcus' inability to control Aptom. If any of his Zoanoids decided to go rogue . . . Future batches of Zoanoids were to be processed _properly_, The Council would make certain of that.

Guyver III had escaped after the battle, neither expecting nor receiving much in the way of gratitude.

Lord Archanfel was traumatized, everything he had known, everything he had lived for, had been ripped away by his creators. And he had slain them in retribution, the ultimate patricide. He had not left his temple on Silha for nearly a year now, tended by the ever faithful Barcus.

CHRONOS had been a failure.

Lord Shin Rubeo Amniculus was left in charge of The Divine Twelve in the absence of both Archanfel and Barcus, though Lord Imakarum Mirabilis held control over the military wing. It had been decided that CHRONOS should become what most of its members had believed that it had been from the beginning.

A New World Order.

An Earth united and at relative peace.

The Quetzalcoatli had left Earth shortly after the battle, both jubilant at such a decisive victory over The Federation and frightened of the Guyver's powers. This alliance had proven most beneficial. They were eager to press their advantage, and hopefully win the war once and for all.

Lord Ali Bin Jamar had been reprocessed with a new Zoacrystal, and once again taken his seat upon The Council of Twelve.

There was no sign of Apollon.

Fukamachi Residence

With more Guyver Units than they knew what to do with and grateful for Sho's help, CHRONOS had finally and truly decided to leave them alone. Lord Czyvek had asked Sho to stay on at Cloud Gate, as a sort of Liaison, but he had turned him down. He just wanted a quiet life with the woman he loved. They had also offered to remove his Guyver Unit, but Sho again declined. He'd never wanted the thing, it had ruined his life, but it had also enabled him to save the world from The Ouranos and protect those who he loved. Czyvek's offer, as usual, was well-meaning, but naive. He still hated CHRONOS, at least that cold, malevolent force represented by the likes of Barcus and Makishima Genzo, but he also understood that billions had now been processed into Zoanoids. To destroy CHRONOS would cause the world to fall apart. Besides, there were good people there, too.

Sho stood at the window, watching the sun set. Mizuki joined him at his side, wrapped her warmth around him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it. You never appreciate these things, until they are taken away."

"No, you don't. But I treasure them now. All of them."

He turned and walked over to the crib, lifting baby Fumio into his arms. The baby smiled at him.

Guyot's Base

Richard Guyot had great plans and the means to achieve them. With the aid of a surviving, fugitive Ouranos he had grown greatly in knowledge and power. Now, if he could only convince the thing to allow him access to the Guyver armor . . .

Elsewhere

Apollon was almost himself again. His body was finally purging itself of the last of Nguyen's genetic material, and he had been able to defend himself against the consequences of the destruction of his Control Medallion by that ridiculous Rocies using his two Zoacrystals. His masters had all either died or fled. He was free, but without purpose. . .

Cloud Gate

Ishi had proven a capable leader, remarkable for a man so young. He had successfully navigated both political and military waters and ran Cloud Gate, and Japan, in a highly efficient and secure manner. Rumor was, he was being considered for a position as a Zoalord.

A small Vietnamese restaurant in Shibuya District, Tokyo

As good as Japanese cuisine was, sometimes one wanted something different. Indian, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese. The restaurant was small and quiet, tucked away amidst a sea of fancy, high-priced fare. It was one of both Angela and Mikhail's favorites. Both had ordered 'Clay Pot Chicken', so-called because it was slowly cooked in traditional clay pots. The owners and staff knew who they were serving, of course, which made it rather awkward at times.

"It's nice to get away, if only for a little while," Czyvek observed, "It's a strange life we lead."

"Yes, it is." Both had come so far. He had been born in Romania and 'raised' in the streets of L.A., she had grown up in poverty on a Reservation in New Mexico, "The whole world has changed."

"Not everything," He replied, "We're all still people. We still feel kindness, joy, grief, despair. . . _Love_."

Mikhail and Angela Czyvek ate slowly, savoring the meal and the peaceful atmosphere.

The End


End file.
